A Moment in Time
by Renleek
Summary: [AU] CHAPTER 3 COMPLETE! Hitomi is an average, hard working 17 year old trying to achieve her dreams. Dilandau is the arrogant and selfdestructive son of a Billionaire. Two worlds collide. Can they work out the differences or will their worlds fall apart
1. Chapter One: Different Worlds

**Author's Notes (PLEASE READ TO AVOID CONFUSION):**

OK! Well this is my first Escaflowne fanfiction so please read with caution! This particular universe where the Escaflowne characters have made cozy homes in is a mixture of present day Earth with Gaian elements as well as elements from my own wild imagination. I say Gaian elements because it's really just Earth but modified to fit this fic; **a different dimension of our Earth if you will.**

In other words, in this fic, Earth has a slightly different history, different politics, inner makings of society and media, different technology, throw in a few 'new' species of plants and animals, add in a few more countries and a hint of 'fantastic elements' and you got our new A/U Earth for this fic!

Ooh, I forgot to mention that I was probably mildly inspired by "Fight Club" for some bits. But not to worry, there isn't anything too violent or extreme. Not yet, anyhow. cackles Simple, isn't it? Before, I forget, **Gaia is a country in this fic and NOT a planet. The planet is Earth as described in the above paragraphs.** Sorry for those who don't like the idea, unfortunately that's how I made it!

**And anything that doesn't seem to make sense or doesn't fit with the anime-related facts from Escaflowne is either because I made it up or I modified it for the purposes of this fic.**

**Remember this is an A/U. Also, flames make me sad so please refrain from doing so. **It's all in good fun! The only one I willingly accept flames from is Dilandau-sama. Oh dear, I'm wasting valuable space. I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

**For those of you who don't like the Slayers, you might not enjoy this chapter but you can still give it a shot if you feel courageous enough!  **But I love them so! They're so adorable and so devoted to Dilly-sama! By the way, **all characters that were previously a hybrid of animal and 'human' are now ALL human or a humanoid species without 'animal' traits. ** Obviously that includes Merle, Eriya, Naria and Jajuka among others.

**SPECIAL THANKS:** I was inspired to write this fic by Frostmourne's amazing DH A/U fics and Michi G's wonderful multi-chaptered fic entitled "Lost Ones". Go read those if you haven't already!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own anything Escaflowne (not even Dilly-sama sniff)… nor Fight Club while we're at it.

**Summary:** AU Hitomi is an average 17 year-old girl trying to achieve her dreams. Dilandau is the self-destructive arrogant son of a Billionaire. Two worlds collide. Can they work out the differences or will they fall apart?

"…" Talking. Erm, DUH, right? Right!

'…' Thinking

_Italics_ mean everything else including flashbacks and other weirdness.

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A Moment in Time

Chapter One: Different Worlds

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Ridiculous. Absolutely Ridiculous. How could she tell him that? What was she thinking! No, right now was not the time to be dwelling on _it_. There was a white sheet with printed ink on her desk that demanded, no, required answers. 'To Jared St-Germain no less! I'd have rather been bitch slapped by Keri Jennings than have him know _that_!'

The green-eyed teen let out what was supposed to be a growl amidst the maelstrom of sounds of nervous sighs, pencils scratching and erasers rubbing. Fitting sounds that filled the tension-wracked atmosphere. Needless to say, it was not heard. That or no one bothered to notice.

'To think—' She stopped herself before she went down another path of mental fury.

Concentrate.

She had to concentrate. This was Calculus. It was child's play. Then why the hell couldn't she just focus? She could finish this within twenty minutes on any other day but she found herself unable to even look at the blank answer sheet teasing her.

Her sun kissed golden locks held by a black hair tie swung to her left shoulder, then to her right as she looked around the classroom for a distraction. Nothing. She let out an exasperated sigh. Hitomi Kanzaki, age 17, star of the Adelph Quincy High track team and promising youth was pissed. So very pissed.

"Hitomi?" A soft feminine voice laced with motherly concern and curiosity interrupted her (cataclysmic) thoughts. The young girl looked up from her paper.

The voice continued. "Is everything alright? You've been fidgeting non-stop for the past 20 minutes."

The girl let out a nervous giggle that sounded just absurdly wrong in the moment. It was meant to be a reassuring chuckle. She could already hear some boys from the classroom stifling a laughing outburst. "Sorry," she giggled again. "Just nervous, I guess."

"Oh, I don't see why you should be," the teacher said taking off her glasses. "I've already given much harder tests and you've always managed to have top grades. This should be second nature to you." The woman sounded genuinely surprised. At this, a few rolled their eyes, others glared jealously and a few even "hmmphed" haughtily. That was probably Keri Jennings and her supporters.

"In fact," the woman added as she purposefully glanced at her wristwatch, "I thought you'd be done by now. You sure nothing's wrong, Hitomi?" Everyone knew how much Mrs. Moore held Kanzaki on a pedestal.

By this time, the soft pinkish hue that was silently creeping up had fully tainted the youth's cheeks and parts of her exposed neck. "Yes, Mrs. Moore," she said, embarrassed beyond belief. "Really, I'm fine," she quickly added in the hope of ending the unwanted scrutiny.

Mrs. Moore nodded in understanding although still somewhat concerned, repositioned her spectacles atop her wrinkled nose and went back to correcting last week's assignments.

Hitomi let out the breath she had been holding when she was sure Mrs. Moore's and everyone else's attention went back to their papers. 'Damn it! Yukari wait till I get my hands on you!' The unsaid threat was left to the claws of her darker imagination. Only after a few little violent scenarios played out in her head with said, or rather unsaid Yukari as the main character, did she deem herself appeased enough to concentrate on her exam.

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A young man with messy-looking light brown hair clumsily stepped out of an apartment complex which looked rather intimidating and imposing on an architectural and decorative perspective. Well, threatening to anyone who did not have an abundance of the grey matter in their pockets, that is.

The young man's clothes looked like they were hastily thrown on and he himself fared no better in appearance. Fortunately for him, he was a rather charming man and despite his unkempt look, the ladies who strode by noticed this and sent appreciative glances his way. He smiled and winked. They giggled and waved. He'd learned how to master his charm from watching _him _for all these years, after all. The doorman relayed a message especially for him, handed him a package and bid him "Good day!" as the young man walked off forgetting to tip the spoiled doorman. Rather, the now _upset_ spoiled doorman.

'Always prepared isn't _he_?' he thought as he inspected the package. It read, "_Not to be opened without my permission."_ Of course not! He would never even dream of disobeying _him_. Not in this lifetime and not ever. It was probably the plans for the next _project_ anyway.

He yawned for the twelfth time that morning, or rather afternoon, and tiredly plunged his hand into his pant pocket to retrieve his keys. "Uhh," he groaned just as he felt a wave of sudden pounding coming from his head. "Damn headache," his hand rubbed his throbbing forehead while teal eyes blinked the last traces of sleep away and tried to focus on the key he was looking for. 'Great,' he thought. 'I must've left it back at _his_ Den.' the _Den_ in question was probably the most extravagant understatement of the year.

The Den is what they had begun calling their _Organization_'s Leader's immense and expensively furnished apartment. As he began tracing his steps back to the complex, a familiar voice called him back.

"Gatti, have you—" the familiar voice stopped and Gatti watched the figure approach him at a slow jog, the latter took in Gatti's disheveled appearance. "Wow Gatti, you sure look like shit!" The boy now standing in front of Gatti tried to be as matter-of-factly as possible while still trying to sound optimistic. Gatti's headache suddenly seemed to get worse. His annoyance was unmistakable.

"Shut up Shesta! You're just a freak. I don't even know how you do it to recover so quickly. Geez, after last night's party…" He drifted off grinning madly as he remembered the somewhat _finer_ details of the night before. All of which included the words women, sex, alcohol, drugs and experimentation… 'Hmm, maybe a hint of mischief too…' he added as an afterthought. 'Dilandau-san sure knows how to party when he wants.'

"Well Dilandau-san did it. He left before any of us even got up. Even before all of the guests," the young man known as Shesta replied. He was shorter than Gatti, though not by too much. Compared to Gatti's medium build, Shesta was mildly smaller in size but no less defined. He may not have looked it from the outside but Shesta was quite well toned and athletic. The blond hair draping his forehead gleamed in the sunlight and seemed immaculately attached to his head. Not one stray strand! Gatti still wonders to this day how that was even possible. He had already seen the boy in worse shape than himself and yet his hair always remained stubbornly in place. Shesta's innocent-_looking_ baby-blue eyes blinked as he patiently waited for his friend to get over his current daze.

"That's different. Dilandau-san's not human and you know it!" Gatti yawned again. "He's either a God or a Demon. Oh and by the way, he said to meet him in two hours time at the _place_ so do what you have to do before then." He sighed remembering his forgotten keys. "Listen, I have to go get my car keys, I left them at the Den. Meet me at Boothes (1), in front of the gate in half an hour, yeah?" Not waiting for an answer, Gatti turned to head back toward the complex but was stopped a second time by Shesta.

"If you need a ride, I got my car. We'll go get something to eat in the mean time. But I just have to pick up some stuff for my sister first though. She's coming to town. That sound good?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Gatti agreed although somewhat annoyed he wouldn't get see Katie naked sleeping soundly back at the apartment. He suddenly paused as if remembering something. "Come to think of it, Dilandau-san must be in a really good mood if he hasn't kicked anyone out from the Den by now."

"I sure hope so," Shesta absently rubbed his jaw. "Because the last time I got hit, it was the worst yet. He almost broke my jaw and it was only a slap. I swear, his hand's made of steel or something." His slightly bruised cheek and cut lip were the residues from the violent impact with the hand of a certain Dilandau.

"You and me both, buddy." Gatti got in the car and sat on the passenger's side of Shesta's convertible. "By the way Shes, let me know when your sister comes down. I'd like to welcome her _personally_," he said and gave Shesta a mischievous grin.

"Don't you even _think_ about it Gatti Lombardi!" The mere fact that Shesta mentioned his full name in his warning meant that Shesta was serious. And when Shesta was serious, he looked even more innocent (and vulnerable). He looked just about as mean and threatening as an angry bunny. Gatti laughed as the car sped off.

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"There you are." Hitomi was leaning against the wall facing the door to her best friend's classroom and watched her friend slip cautiously out of the class. 'Best friend? Not after I'm through with her!' Arms crossed over her chest, scowl in place, fingers tapping against her triceps. Oh yes. Full battle mode activation complete. Her friend's stunned gasp only added fuel to her fire and she could not help but grin a _tad_ too psychotically. 'As if, pretending she doesn't know what was coming to her! Hmp! That little hypocrite!'

"Oh 'Tomi-_chan_! You surprised me! I was just about to…" the brown-haired girl tried sounding as casual as possible but seeing her best friend's glare only intensify, she decided to come clean.

"Look 'Tomi, I know you're upset but hear me out first… beforeyoujustdecidetogoaheadandkillme," and she took her breath. Hitomi did not budge.

"I feel the urgent need to do you bodily harm," her eyelids menacingly drifted shut as she continued tightlipped, "for what you made me go through during class. In fact, I'm just jonesing (2) to rip your head off at this very moment."

"Uhh… please refrain?" the soon-to-be victim laughed nervously.

"'Kari you idiot, how could you! You told that conceited jock airhead I had a crush on him!" the words seemed almost too surreal to have actually had an actual place and time for the blasted occurrence.

"But you did though… Oh and that's filthy rich plenty-of-connections conceited jock airhead by the way…" she faintly added not daring to look up from her interesting shoes.

"First of all, we were ten for crying out loud and second," Hitomi counted off the points on her fingers and still shaking with frustration, "it only lasted a freakin' day! Third, he was new that day and I had to show him around and I thought he was nice but he turned out to be a CONCEITED JOCK AIRHEAD!" Hitomi practically screamed the last few words.

"Shhh, they're not done with their exam in there. But," Yukari continued not looking away from the nervous dance her fingers were doing, "a filthy rich plenty-of-connections—"

"YUKARI!"

Suddenly, the door to Yukari's classroom was thrown open and an angry middle-aged man's head poked out. He wore a stern frown and a grey beard. His students never quite took his threats seriously. Though that might have been because his eyebrows drooped like grey feathers over his eyes and shook violently whenever he did. "Would you two mind taking your careless shouting elsewhere! There's a test going on in here!" the birdman half-yelled half-squeaked.

"Sorry Mr. Ingram," both girls said in unison.

Mr. Ingram then shut the door violently but not before mumbling something about reckless and uncivilized youth under his breath. The two girls glared at the closed door a moment before turning to each other again. Yukari was the first to speak.

"Look 'Tomi, I know you want to kill me right now and you have every right to want to," she looked over to her friend who was giving her a look akin to _"Gee, you really think so?"_ but ignored it and went on, "but I want you to listen to me for a sec. Summer's here and this is our last summer before we move out and carry on with our lives. I mean you've got a scholarship to one of the top Ivy League Universities in the world and I'm going off to study in America. What I mean to say is," she cast her chestnut eyes down, "this is going to be our last summer together before we make a name for ourselves and I wanted us to do something special so that we could remember this moment by. Something to celebrate our new lives with."

"What? By telling stupid Jared St-Germain that I had a meaningless thing for him and ruining my r-e-p-u-t-a-t-i-o-n!" Hitomi could already tell that she was losing her edge because her friend's argument was sadly true. 'I'm not going to see her after this summer… at least not for a while. Things'll be different by then… Damn that Yukari! Why does she have to go and say that crap?'

Uh oh. Yukari gave her that _look_. Hitomi knew that look very well. The one that said _"Wait till you hear me out! Then you won't be able to back down!"_ 'Shit, not _that_ one!'

"No silly! OK," it was too late, Yukari was hyped up now, "you know that Jared liked you since way back and you also know he's rich and has hook-ups to the coolest places around Gaia. Well, my dear, it just so happens that he could manage to get us two tickets to MYSTIC MOON," and here she paused for dramatic effect and went on to stress every syllable of the next few words, "ne-x-t Friday only on the condition that I tell him something about you that no one knew! I mean that was the deal of the century, I just couldn't pass it up!" Hitomi stared blankly at the overexcited teen in front of her.

"You mean that posh place where all those rich and famous people go?" Bingo, now was Yukari's only chance.

"Exactly! _That_ one! Only the trendiest club in town where we could meet all sorts of famous people and possibly really cute—"

"What the hell would I wanna go there for! I don't even go clubbing!" the honey-brown haired girl rubbed her aching temples and sighed. She carried on with a more solemn tone, "Yukari. Why do you want to go to a place like that so much? I thought we were different from those kinds of people. We always stuck together because we were the outcasts in this flaming school. We work hard for what we achieve. We're not like _them_. In fact, I despise them. I hate rich socialites who spend precious time and money on bullshit just so they could get with the 'in-crowd'. Other people work _real_ damn hard for it! You know I can't stand people like that! They're heartless! So why do _you_ want to be like that?" There was bitterness in Hitomi's voice that Yukari had rarely heard. The kind that cut through you. The kind of bitterness only brought on by a lot of hurt.

"I don't… I'm sorry Tomi. I should've just kept my big mouth shut! I just thought I'd see what it was like just once. I never understood their world. I thought if I could try to understand them, maybe I'd find out that they were really just like us. Then I'd get over it and close the book. The End… you know?" She giggled and gave Hitomi a kind and reassuring smile.

Hitomi was losing. She was losing to those bright and pleading chestnut eyes. She could do anything for Yukari just as she knew Yukari would do anything to insure Hitomi's happiness. 'But they're NOT like us and they never will be! They're heartless and selfish!' she told herself and tried repeating it over and over so as not to give in. So what if she was being selfish, she had to preserve her dignity for crying out loud! 'Oh… I see.'

_She_ was the onebeing selfish. All Yukari was asking for was a little Night Out On the Town. She simultaneously cursed her weakness and her strength. Wait. Why was she feeling guilty again? Because Yukari had a wonderful talent to make her and anyone feel that way when you were clearly not the one at fault. It was her weapon to get what she wanted. And her arguments always worked. Yukari would make a fine lawyer some day. Hitomi's shoulders sunk a little and she let out the most defeated sigh she could muster. Yukari took it as her cue.

"Is that a yes Tomi-_chan_! Oh I knew you were wonderful! I love you, love you, love you so much!" she exclaimed while hugging and kissing her excitedly. "And you know," she smirked at her defeated friend, "now you'll be able to tell your kids that you once went to Mystic Moon with their Aunt Yukari. Who knows, maybe you'll even end up falling madly in love with someone you'll meet there and even marr—"

"Don't push it you Bum! And I never agreed I would behave. If one of them pisses me off, I swear I'll jump 'em and I won't look back! I still hate people like that, you know!" she threatened wagging a finger in Yukari's face. Yukari laughed; glad to have her friend back to her old self. Suddenly, Hitomi straightened her back and scrunched her eyebrows. Yukari, as though, anticipating her suspicious thoughts quickly responded.

"No don't worry. I know he didn't trick me because I threatened to make him sterile if he cheated. I've got them right here," she took out the tickets from her side-bag.

"Actually, I was more wondering how Airhead got us the tickets in the first place. I mean, everyone knows that the security is super-tight and never allows anyone who's not on the VIP list or who doesn't have a couple hundred bucks for bribing the bouncers in those kinda places. I heard in some places you have to have a few thousands!" Hitomi looked over at her friend suspiciously. The latter had a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Well… let's just say it'll be a lot more exciting _this_ way…" Yukari gave her best wink and smile to the now very weary teen slouching next to her. Hitomi had a bad feeling about all this. A gnawing feeling that everything would go wrong.

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"Did you call them?" Gatti asked his friend who just flipped his ultra-sleek cell phone closed and shoved it into his shirt pocket. They were sitting at one of the exterior food courts at Boothes Plaza. Gatti was taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Yeah, Dallet said he'd be here in 10 with the others. But you know, when he says ten, it's more like 20." Shesta answered taking a sip from his orange juice. "He said Dilandau-san phoned and ordered his servants to kick everyone out pronto and have all the mess cleaned up before 5 or else…" They both knew what that meant and inwardly shuddered at the thought.

"Hey, by the way," Gatti exhaled and took another drag, "are you going to the huge party they're having over at Mystic Moon next Friday?"

"Well if I had a choice I'd say no but Dilandau-san would have my head if I refused so, yes I am." Shesta found that his orange juice was rather tasty and so he took another long sip.

"What? I didn't know we had to go. How come he didn't tell _me_ about it?" the grey smoke came out of his mouth as he was talking. "I'm seriously starting to think he loves screwing with my head more than anything," the bitterness was coated with every word he spoke.

"Relax Gatti. It's not what you think. He hasn't said anything to anyone yet. He just casually mentioned it last night that's all. Nothing to get worked up over." He gave Gatti a reassuring glance. "Besides, he's probably going to talk about it today at the meeting."

"Oh," he simply said and took a sip of his now cold coffee. "Gross…" referring to the latter. "But man, last night was one hell of a night! Dilandau-san looked like he was enjoying himself loads. I sure did! He definitely throws the best parties! All those girls--" he grinned while inadvertently taking another sip of his cold and neglected coffee. "For Christ's sake!" yet again referring to the offending brown liquid and shoving the cup as far away from his reach as possible.

"I just don't get how he gets all those girls to come back to him without even trying and after everything he's done to them." Shesta thought for a moment. "I mean, any fool could see why all the girls go crazy after him like that but I just don't get the ones who've been stomped… why do they keep coming back when they know they're only going to get stomped on again?"

"Because women are all bimbos. That's why. But then again, Dilandau-san does it to everyone but still, they're lying, cunning tramps and we've got to use them before they get to us. And when they see that you're the one who's got control, they come back." Gatti finished his statement with a proud smile. "Look at Katie. I'm not going to even give her the chance to think about using me. So she comes back for more." He gradually took more space as the conversation went on until he looked like a King sitting on his throne.

"Yeah but doesn't she flirt openly with Dilandau-san." Shesta asked a little unsure of whether he was prying too far but half-curious to see his reaction.

"Dilandau-san doesn't like her. And even if he did, it wouldn't matter. I've got too much respect for him to care about that stuff. Besides, he's got all the babes in the world hanging off his shoulder. It doesn't make a difference who he likes and who he doesn't, in the end, he's got them all." Gatti let out a chuckle merely thinking about the irony in the truth.

"I guess so…" Shesta agreed. Pause. He proceeded to break the awkward silence. "Anyway, are you going to Mystic Moon as well?" It was more of a question asking about his opinion on the matter than wanting to know the answer which to both of them was fairly clear.

"If it's an order, hell yeah. Besides I think _he_'s brewing _something_. I mean, why would he want us to go so much when he doesn't even care about the place or the people to begin with? Hell, he could throw way better parties on a whim than they'd ever be able to plan in a year. I can almost smell he's up to something…"the brown-haired young man said as he botched is cigarette.

"Think the package has anything to do with it?" the younger looking lad asked.

"I can bet all my money on it…" Gatti answered smiling with silent anticipation.

"Hey Dicks!" just at that moment a boisterous voice roared through the air. Dallet and the others arrived just in time. They decided to discuss a few things before heading to the _place_ to wait for Dilandau-san. It would be a pleasant change for once, and they were right. It was.

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A/N I'm so sorry if it was slow-paced but I really wanted to get into the characters and how they act and react to their surroundings as well as how they interact with other people. I also wanted to show **how** **different Hitomi's and Dilandau's worlds, lifestyles and views are.**

I hope it wasn't too boring. I know no one's going to read this but I'll say it anyway: Arigatou for putting up with it! Of course if you've made it this far, I must say, **reviews would be much appreciated**. I'd love to know what you thought. I REALLY hope I didn't bore you to death or make you go "Oh God, what is this bullshit!" I promise the pace will pick up and there will be plot twists, that I can guarantee it!

**For those of you who are confused about the locations and basically asking themselves, "Where the hell is this set?" Don't worry, more detailed description of their Earth and environment will come in the next few chapters. As well as which city and country this takes place. **I'll try even though I suck at it!

**I promise Dilandau will be introduced in the next chapter and possibly Van.** YAY! Dilly-sama! I just wanted to describe what his Slayers think about him and show how much they were devoted to him. And what kind of person he was through their eyes.

**The DilandauxHitomi action won't come until the third chapter but maybe I'll consider it in the next if I have time (and if anyone will be reading this!). I want it to build up to that! So then when there are changes in their personalities due to the other's influence, it'll be more noticeable.**

By the way:

1--- refers to Boothes Plaza, an invented mall/plaza only reserved for the very rich.

2--- for anyone who's first language is not English, "jonesing" is a slang word meaning "to have a strong need, desire, or craving for something."---That definition was taken from this site- http/www. urbandictionary. com/ define.php? termjonesing


	2. Chapter Two: Sightings

A/N Yay! Finally, Dilly-kun's here! You might also realize that this chapter will probably not respect certain laws of nature. I'm sure the ones with scientific minds will point out that certain things don't make sense on a scientific level (besides the obvious _fantastic elements_ that is) such as climate, geography, evolution, etc, but this is an A/U and as much as I'm like that as well, it's fun to be a kid sometimes and pretend that things are possible! So on that note, pretend away… (I hope this chapter delivers…)

**Pre-note: **Even if I'm writing this in English, in my head **they're all talking in Japanese.** It's so much sexier that way and also, I find Dilly-kun's voice to be very hot in Japanese (even if it's a woman!) but I imagine him to have a deeper, manlier voice in this fic yet still keeping the essence of it (his mocking tone that can only be done by the wonderful Takayama!). Basically the voice of Takayama as a mature man! Haha! I think I need professional help!

**Thank you to you wonderful people who reviewed! Every single one of you!** It means a lot to me! And I'll answer to the anonymous ones at the end of the chapter. Wow! I didn't think I'd get any! Woot! You guys rock! Actually, thanks to everyone who read the chapter till the end! It doesn't matter whether you liked it or not, you still gave me a chance so thanks! It was my fault for not delivering. cries

**Disclaimer:** I don't care about not owning Escaflowne but won't they just give me Dilly-kun! Please?... TT

**Note:** I've modified the original anime **guymelef to look more like an AS or Arm Slave from Full Metal Panic!** Okies?

**Extra-note:** In this chapter, there's **some** **mature content**. Nothing shocking (I think…) but don't say I didn't warn ya! And there's **some coarse language**.

"…" Talking. Erm, DUH, right? Right.

'…' Thinking

_Italics_ mean everything else including flashbacks and other weirdness.

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A Moment in Time

Chapter Two: Sightings

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She lay there, watching him with her catlike yellow-green eyes. She could spend the rest of eternity like this. He was making a mess of her bed again. Grey ashes fell carelessly onto her expensive Indian silk sheets. She just smiled. She knew there was no real way she could ever reach him. The simple thought was as ridiculous as trying to catch the sun's rays. A child's fantasy and a woman's foolishness. The man was completely impenetrable but right now, it was of no importance to her because he was _here_ with _her_, wasn't he?

Nothing else mattered when she was with him. The fact that he did not care about her in the least didn't matter to her either. It wasn't a suspicion but a fact. And he'd proven that fact countless times and in front of various people. He was poison, lethal and cruel but of course, she would gladly drink every last excruciating drop. It was _that_ delectable. Besides, it was too late to save her now. The poison had already spread and seeped into her core. She suffered greatly but would remain silent. He was with her and he was actually being docile _this time_.

Last night she had begged him to come back to her place but he'd never given his consent until everyone was either passed out or asleep. He had roughly grabbed her by the arm while she was still sleeping and dragged her to his car. Although she was a little miffed that he had enjoyed the other women's company so much during the party (he even locked himself in his _Grand Master Bedroom_ with five other tramps for two hours), it did not matter anymore.

That night, or rather early morning, they had shared hours of uninhibited and violent lovemaking. Well, she liked to think of it as such but she knew better. There was nothing gentle or equal in the way they exchanged kisses and touches. He only gave pleasure for his own selfish reasons or to satisfy his ego. Her role in their amorous trysts was to remain compliant and submissive. As much as she loved it, it was not so much a choice as it was an obligation. A soundless order he expected to be followed. She would probably scratch the eyes out of any other person who tried to force her to assume a certain role when it came to bed matters (she was _always_ the dominant one), but with him, it seemed natural. And, truth be known, she was terrified of Dilandau Albatou.

He _always_ had control regardless of the situation or circumstance, and it was no exception concerning carnal affairs. He could be dead tired, impossibly drunk and high or go without food or sleep yet, never lose control. His anger even served a purpose for dominance. And she, like many others had learned never to defy him.

If she was on top, it was because he _put_ her there and it was like that with every other way they could be 'joined at the hip'. Even when she was just one of multiple other female partners in a _ménage-à-plusieurs_, his domineering personality and charismatic presence only seemed to weaken any resolve they might have had. He took iniquitous delight in breaking people's resolve and bending them to his will. He never had to try very hard to do it either. 'Only a God has _that_ much power over people,' she mused. She wouldn't be surprised if he was.

She observed in silence as he absently rolled his cigarette between his strong thumb and forefinger. His every motion reflected intrinsic grace and elegance. He puffed in the sweet tobacco and exhaled through his nose while running a hand through his soft argent strands. They lazily fell near his eyes, not wanting to hide their beauty. Gods, he was beautiful. She was enraptured by the scene before her. A longing sigh left her bosom and images of numerous women who would kill to be in her position at this moment flashed through her mind. She could already name twenty without really thinking about it. 'Too bad,' she thought before burying her head in the pillow and immersing herself in his dizzying scent.

His back rested against the headboard, his right leg bent over the bed while his left dangled off its side to land on the soft carpeting of the floor. The arm with his precious Silver Cut (1) pivoted on his bent knee as it traveled up once more to present the addictive offering to his lips. He inhaled and let his arm fall on his leg once again.

She cracked open an eye and saw through black filaments that he was looking out the large window of her room. Golden rays penetrated through the glass to wash over his sculpted features. She let her eyes travel. A shirtless torso revealed a perfectly flat and taut abdomen only upset by the rippling muscles that sinewed their way up. Pale white skin enveloped every hard, toned and defined muscle of his chest, back and shoulders. His long neck connected with a strong masculine jaw. In contrast, his delicate facial traits helped soften the overall look of his visage: full pink lips, high cheekbones and a narrow nose. Any portrait artist's dream really.

But, what truly drew people into his web were his eyes. Those mysterious scarlet orbs that pierced your soul the moment they were fixed upon you. The long and thick, black eyelashes that framed the penetrating gaze oddly made them more hypnotizing. The whole scene looked too ethereal to be real. Suddenly, she found herself needing to know if he _was_ real, needing confirmation that he was indeed there beside her and not one of her hallucinations of him.

"Won't you come back to bed with me, please?" the raven-haired temptress pleaded. A hint of desperation leaked in her voice. The man only smirked in his usual arrogant fashion without tearing his eyes away from the view and flicked his half-finished cigarette onto her carpet.

"Dil—" she stopped as her widening yellow eyes followed the white object. _Oh God!_ She jumped out of the bed in such haste that she nearly stumbled, grabbed the glass of water sitting on the nightstand and splashed the liquid content onto the violated area where the smoke was gradually thickening. Exhale. Her heart was pounding in her ears but she could faintly hear the amused chuckle through all the pounding.

"That was dangerous!" the young woman exclaimed, visibly upset. "You know the last time I had to get Daddy to renovate this whole section," pointing to her immense walk-in closet, "and I had to buy all my designer gowns all over again," she finished, pouting heavily and trying not to sound as hurt as she really felt. It had little to do with her designer gowns. The man laughed still while nonchalantly slipping on his black long-sleeved shirt. He headed for the door.

"Dilandau-sama," she called out running after the indifferent man with her bed sheets draped about her. He turned around. "Will I see you again?" She dreaded the answer already.

"Don't count on it," he said smiling seductively and left. Her heart twisted painfully but she could not help smiling a little anyway.

-------------------------------

Apollo's streets were clean and well 'cared' for by the City. It _was_ Gaea's capital after all.

Gaea.

It was a strange land indeed. The mere name sounded mystical. As if mythical creatures dwelled in such a place. They weren't _completely_ wrong there. It wasn't uncommon for Gaean travelers to be "oohed" and "aahed" at when they were found to come from the mysterious island. Only two places had that kind of effect on people. Gaea was _one_ of them.

An island roughly the size of France, the country now counted almost 15 million inhabitants in the last census thanks to the half-century of steady flow of settlers from abroad into the land. The great city of Apollo was last estimated to have 5 million citizens, thus living up to its name of being the largest city in area and most populated. It was conveniently situated near the East Coast of the island.

The country welcomed anyone with open arms. Anyone who was willing to brave the stormy and unstable waters or, had the monetary means to pay for the most skilled pilots to fly through the highly turbulent air. Some hundred miles off the island's coast, the land was surrounded by an inexplicable barrier of chaotic winds and seas stretching for a few hundred miles, much like its not too distant neighbor albeit nowhere near as deadly as the latter. In the recent past, the only ones who dared the challenge were usually the rich who possessed the newest equipment (including scientists and researchers), mindless daredevils looking for a new feat or desperate sea farers seeking solace from poverty. Even submarines seldom succeeded in crossing the infernal barrier, though the military ones had more favorable odds. The baffling stormy obstacle was named Ring of Zeus and rightfully so. The similar ring encircling its neighboring island was infamously known as Ring of Death.

However, some fifty odd years ago, the invention of Melefs had revolutionized air, sea and land travel. Frightfully resistant to damage and wear and tear and working on a different principle than other transport vehicles, Melefs were a blessing from heaven. The strange and rare metal that made up the structure was said to be found exclusively in Gaea and its sister island. The machine was invented by the team of Gaean scientists and researchers behind Adelphus & Co., a company that specialized in manufacturing the most cutting-edge technology including weapons. It was also known for making luxury cars; their best-selling model being the Neon-Helix. People who could afford the highly classy Adelphus cars were envied a great deal. The company, one of the most lucrative in the world, was owned by none other than General Aldous Adelphus and co-owned by business tycoon, Kirk Albatou. The Adelphus & Company Corporation was known by nearly every man, woman and child on the planet, often referred to as the "Melef makers".

No one quite knew how to build and manufacture Melefs except the Gaean engineers. In fact, no one except that specific team of scientists quite knew _how_ they worked. Just that they did and that they required the most trained and skilled pilots to operate them. The would-be pilots were given specialized training in a secluded Kherss (2) military training base under the direct supervision of General Adelphus himself. The famous General was the first to operate a Melef and personally trained the pilots and soldiers before relaying to them the task of training the next generation of Melef pilots.

There were now different Melef models such as Romelefs for land travel, Skymelefs for air travel, Seamelefs and Submelefs for sea travel and finally, the Guymelefs for combat. Guymelefs were the latest in Melef technology and by far the hardest to pilot. Although being much more compact in size than its predecessors, they were the most versatile, being able to systemically modify its shape and mechanics to suit any land and surface; the only of its kind to be able to travel on land, in sea and air at any given time. A far cry from the standard Melef model.

But in the end, it all came down to money and who could afford Melef tickets. It was a big hit among the rich and could only be dreamed of by the poor. The asking price of 200,000USD per ticket was definitely not what one would call cheap. Nevertheless, Gaea quickly became the destination spot for the very wealthy. The country's exotic landscape, flora and fauna were the stuff dreams were made of. It was affectionately named Redgreen by its natives due to the unnatural red color that tainted its earth and the strange and beautiful green of the trees, adding to its appeal. Since then, businesses flourished and the nation's economy was envied.

Gaea also attracted tourists for its history and unique architecture. For many centuries, the land had drawn many a brave seafaring traveler who had heard that Gaea was the gateway to another land even more mysterious and alluring than Redgreen herself. The weary travelers had settled there after finding no such gateway and not wanting to go through the accursed Ring of Zeus a second time. The feared waters were much calmer then, but ships in those days were still primarily made of wood and were not resistant enough to last against the battering and merciless waves for another round. Many travelers from Japan, India, China, Europe and the Middle-East left their architectural mark in different cities. Some cities even felt as though you were in the country from whence the travelers originated. They had brought back a piece of home with them. The natives of Gaea though few were a very open and accepting people and often celebrated the traditional or religious holidays with their foreign guests.

The city of Apollo had a very Japanese essence. Much of its old structural design was reminded of late Feudal Japan. This attracted more Japanese settlers later on. One such settler was the great-great-great paternal grandfather of a Hitomi Kanzaki, an outstanding navigator in his time. Her mother's forefathers had arrived some time lost to history so not much was known of her exact origins except that they were also Japanese.

The navigator had fallen in love and married a beautiful young Gaean native who happily agreed to adopt his ancestral culture. The only thing reminiscent of her was a strange jewel which was handed down from generation to generation. She had already known much of the Japanese and their way of life so she was familiar with certain rituals and was only too eager to learn more. She had also learned to speak fluent Japanese just like most of the citizens of today's Apollo. If they did not speak it, they understood it.

Hitomi paid for her coffee at a nearby stand which only served _her_ kind and trudged along. Her coach had cancelled her practice today but she decided to stay to run a few laps around the large stadium in order to cool off from the day's earlier event. Just recalling it made her blood simmer.

……

"_Well... let's just say it'll be a lot more exciting this way…" Yukari gave her best wink and smile to the now very weary teen slouching next to her. Hitomi had a bad feeling about all this. A gnawing feeling that everything would go wrong._

"_What. Is. That. Supposed to mean?" She snatched the tickets from Yukari's hand which earned her a whiny "Hey!" and a playful slap on the arm. She took a closer look at the print and her eyes widened slightly._

"_What's with the names? They sound kinda like," she paused, "porn stars." Gasp. "Please don't tell me…" But her speculation was cut short._

"_No don't worry. I don't think that's what it is. You know how a lot of those classy girls change their names a bit to make them sound more sexy and famous? Well I think it's something like that," she said reassuringly and snatched the tickets back from the momentarily dazed Hitomi. The unconvinced girl only narrowed her eyes._

_Just at that moment, a tallish young man with short spiky red hair stepped out of the classroom Yukari and Birdman came from. His big, droopy shoulders swung from side to side as he walked towards the two girls. His thick muscular neck gave him away as an athlete. It really was unfortunate that such a good private school as Adelph Quincy had to be a Mixed Private School. Unfortunate because they let in jerks like St-Germain in while Hitomi was still attending. _

"_Hey ladies," he turned to the green-eyed boiling kettle next to him, "Hitomi." She snapped._

"_Don't even think about getting friendly with _me_ Jared!" she spat at his name. "Whatever she told you was bullshit and you know it!" The infuriating boy only smiled._

"_But you're still coming, right? And because you're more pissed off than usual, I'm guessing it's not _all_ bullshit." He winked. She suddenly had the urge to gouge out his blue eyes and stuff them in his mouth. And sew his lips shut, just for good measure. She calmed down._

"_Whatever. Now piss off before I do something I won't regret," she hissed._

"_Geez calm down, honey. I was just trying to be nice. And since I _am_ a nice guy, I'm offering we go all together to Mystic Moon and I'll even introduce you girls to my good buddies. They're real famous and I'm sure you'll be impressed." He tipped his head back and let out the most aggravatingly condescending laugh. The girls' lips upturned in apparent disgust. "You can think of it as a date. What do you say?"_

"_I say you should shove all that self-worship crap up your ass, you backstabbing _brown nose!_" She couldn't help it. She had been wanting to call him that for ages now. She always suspected him of climbing up the social ladder through needless flattery and being the lapdog to whoever he wanted "status" from or be seen with. He may have been rich but he wasn't part of the elite. And he stooped down to new levels to get what he wanted regardless of whether or not he was stepping on people. Yet, he still had the audacity to claim he was better than everyone. Hitomi couldn't even begin to describe how she hated people like him more than those rich socialites she vowed to never become, at least they had _some_ pride. _

"_Ouch! That was harsh," he twitched but he tried to keep his cool. "Oh well, say what you want but I know you wish you were in my _privileged_ shoes." At this moment, Yukari had to restrain her friend from hurting the spinelessly arrogant boy. As he turned to leave, he regarded them over his disproportionately large shoulders. "Don't forget to dress nicely."_

……

"The nerve of that brown-nosed prick! Ghh" She shook her thoughts away. She had to stop herself from thinking about pointlessly maddening things. Lately, it seemed, she was always angry and knowing that made her even angrier. No! She had to stop it this instant! She sighed. At least, she was done with her exams. She was glad for that. She had studied very hard for them and was expecting good grades, as usual. In fact, she often over-studied just to prove to herself that she could be better than the people who put her down on a daily basis. Just to be one step ahead of those weak-minded… 'NO! I shouldn't think like that! What's wrong with me!' But she knew very well that was why she tried so hard; that was why she overworked herself to exhaustion on numerous occasions.

She took in the scenery before her. Apollo truly was a beautiful and lively city. Some children were playing tag not too far from her. She smiled sweetly as she watched a little ebon-haired girl in a yellow frock run and giggle simultaneously, trying hard not to get caught by the little boy chasing after her.

Her emerald eyes slowly drifted upwards toward the fancy district that separated the Elite from the rest of the populace of Apollo. She snorted. How typical. "Hypocrites," she muttered. Segregation between these two classes was rampant and she could only shake her head in disapproval at the injustice.

_They_ were the ones who had come in floods to sweep over their beautiful land and sprout building after building. Yet, they had the nerve to demand separate "everythings" from the local people. Roughly speaking, East End district of Apollo was where the "average" people and local townspeople lived and West End was where the rich dwelled. And prices there were jacked up for just about everything that was purchasable. Probably just a form of psychological intimidation to drive away the "poor". 'How very smart of them,' she thought sarcastically.

Uptown, more specifically, was an area within West End only the elite and aristocrats or people who could spends thousands in a single day occupied. Sure, anyone was allowed to venture in and out of those areas but generally not many people did unless they had a very very good reason to do so. If you weren't intimidated by the contemptuous and condescending looks from passersby, you were by the buildings and mansions… and possibly the mind-bogglingly stupendously exorbitant prices from shop items. In Hitomi's case, it was the latter but she was annoyed with all of the above. She hated the area and how everyone would just stare because of how you dressed or walked differently. And especially how they held their chin higher than everyone else. Thank God her private school was only a few minutes walk into West End or she would probably end up hurting someone.

The Downtown area (City Center) and the beach were the only places the two classes could mingle freely. People from all walks of life could gather there with no unwanted _tense_ strings attached. Of course, the stores gradually became more posh and refined the more you went west but that was that.

She snapped out from her reverie when she felt a gentle tug on her t-shirt.

"Oneesan, are you okay?" inquired the little pigtailed angel. Hitomi had to suppress the motherly urge to hug her and rub her cheek against the little girl's all while making baby noises.

"Of course I am sweetey," she cooed, "thank you for asking," she said playing with the child's little black pigtails. "What's your name?" she asked, bending down to reach her soft brown eyes.

"Llya," the adorable one replied shyly, fussing with the hem of her frock. Just at that moment, the little boy she'd been playing with grasped her arm possessively and dragged her away, scolding her. "Didn't your mommy ever teach you not to talk to strangers," he chastised. Funny. That reminded Hitomi of someone long forgotten from her past on a fateful spring day.

"Bye Oneesan!" the little one cried out happily, trying to keep up with the older boy.

"Bye sweetey! It was nice meeting you." Hitomi waved back at her little retreating figure. 'Well that was nice,' she thought, before walking down the steps to the subway.

-------------------------------

"No way! I don't believe you," said one incredulous girl to another. If it weren't for their mismatched heights, they could have easily passed off as twins.

"Well believe it! I swear he is like the most handsome man I ever saw in my whole life! He's way hotter in person!" She stressed the "way" for a full second and began to frantically fan herself to calm down; it only made her excitement worse.

"You saw _the_ Dilandau Albatou in person? Oh my God darling, you are like the luckiest girl in like ever!" No description needed at this point.

"He even looked in my direction but I don't think he saw me because he was talking on the phone and God he was so serious it was hot! But just the fact that he _could_ have seen me…" The fake platinum blonde proceeded to let out an obnoxiously high shriek.

And so the conversation went on like that for a few more hours whereby the girls let everyone in their friend circle know of the "big event".

-------------------------------

The lads were seated comfortably in the 'Employees Only' section of the Vionne Club or more intimately known as simply The Vionne. It was Dilandau's club. He was the proud owner and he had every reason to be. The Vionne was world renowned. People came from all over just to _see_ it. It was the gathering place for the world's _crème de la crème_. Today, however, it was closed. The Vionne only opened from Thursday through Sunday. But in reality, Dilandau was the one who decided that. If he wanted to close it on a Friday (usually the busiest day), he could and would.

The private room was very spacious and had high domelike ceilings. The interior decoration had a modern art feel to it minus the oddness. The lights were dimmed and left a reddish hue as it reflected off of the dark-colored walls. Chunks of broken mirrors were strategically placed on the walls; made to look like you were taking a walk in a land of glass and red. It was all very impressive.

"I don't know about you, boys," said a man with stylishly long brown locks and laughed, "but I just _know_ it's gonna be fun." He laughed harder, diverting everyone's attention away from the very tall figure that was leisurely making his way over to the group.

"What's 'gonna be fun'?" he humored them and made it _sound_ like a question while lighting up his cigarette. He missed the looks of fear and astonishment and the stiffened backs of his seated companions. He took a long drag and looked over at Dallet who instinctively shrank back in his seat just a little.

"Dilandau-san, welcome back," they said at different intervals. Some sounded generally pleased to see him while others sounded cautious, assessing his mood.

"What's with the tension all of a sudden," the handsome man half-heartedly asked. He was just trying to pull their legs a little and they knew it. His trademark amused look graced his features and he unceremoniously dropped his weight on _his_ designer couch. The lads who were addressed quietly exhaled, realizing his mood was rather relaxed. The silver-haired young man let his arms fall limp over the armrests and leaned back into the soft cushion, knees parted to a comfortable angle. Even in this inelegant display of comfort, he still had poise and elegance. And above all, control. No one had to know that he was, in fact, tired. He hadn't even gotten any sleep yet.

"You're all quite early today, what gives," he inquired, raising a thin grey brow. Note that when Dilandau asked a question, he never let them _know_ it was a question. He never acted surprised or curious to know the answer. Just mildly interested or in this case, amused.

"We thought we'd come early for a change," Shesta answered honestly. Their leader's long legs stretched to rest his feet on the oddly but pleasantly shaped coffee table, left hand tucked behind his head. He brought his beloved Silver Cut to his mouth and inhaled.

"I see," he replied and indicated tacit approval with a pleased nod. "Now," his lips tightened imperceptibly to blow out the smoke, "Gatti, I think you have something for me, right?" His deep yet light sing-song voice always held a hint of 'humor me' attitude which women and men alike found strangely appealing and slightly intimidating. He had given Gatti the package for a specific reason and now he was testing him.

"Yes, I have it right here Dilandau-san," Gatti said, taking out the white package from the interior lining of his shirt and handing it to his 'superior'. "By the way, does it have anything to do with the party over at Mystic Moon?" the teal-eyed lad knew it had to be a project for the Dragonslayers and not the _Ryuugekitai_, the Dragonslayers' "alter ego" so to speak. He reached that conclusion since their leader hadn't called the _other_ members from the latter organization nor had he told them to specifically meet in the basement of The Vionne. This undeniably meant that the current project was probably more psychologically cruel than downright destructive. The garnet-eyed Adonis responded to his query with an unusually pleasant smile. Dilandau was rather glad he had asked. Gatti passed the test; he knew he could always count on him.

"So I see Shesta's already filled you in on the location. Good, I expect you all to be there to watch the show I have planned for the _Birthday Girl_," he stated, making no attempt to hide the malice in his tone. A faint knock was then heard. "Enter," he called. A man clad in clean black attire approached the leader.

"Some French red wine this evening, Sir?" the waiter asked politely and displayed the bottle. "It is a ChâteauHaut Brion Pessac-Lognan 1982. It has a wonderful velvety texture." The owner of the building nodded unconcernedly and the man poured the dark red wine into the round glass and handed it to the seated man. It was known that Dilandau preferred Gaean wine but one could never go wrong with finely aged French red wine. He took an experimental sip, jostled the dark liquid in his mouth for a few seconds with practiced efficiency and gave out his verdict. "Good." The waiter nodded meekly and calmly exited the conference room. A voice interrupted the silence.

"Dilandau-san, by Birthday girl, do you mean Eriya Nadir-Smithsonian?" queried the soft but confident voice. Shesta was now very curious and a little concerned, with good reason.

"Yes… _her_," the red-eyed Adonis uttered the word with such contempt and disgust that were it not for the fact that he was referring to a woman, he could have very well meant a slimy and repulsive creature from the swamp. The corner of his upper lip curled up slightly. A picture of pure disgust. "That bitch'll pay for thinking she could have the upper hand on me," he said as he took a quick gulp of the alcohol. His jaw muscle twitched from clenching his teeth. "_No one_ makes a fool out of _me_," he warned with unblinking crimson eyes. Although unspoken, the threat was very much clear to anyone who dared to contradict him.

In reality, the only crime against Dilandau the poor girl had committed was that of being hopelessly infatuated with the young controlling genius. It was her misfortune of being in love with the one man a girl like her should have been avoiding like the plague. She was far too sensitive. He was far too wicked. She had spotted him at a banquet hosted by his father and silently worshipped him for many years.

At the time, she was not the most pleasing girl to the eye but she had gone through cosmetic surgery after cosmetic surgery to rectify this and that, however painful. To be the ideal girl, just for _him_, _all_ for _him_. When she had mustered enough courage to court him openly, he had always ignored her advances with immense disinterest and a mocking smile. Somehow, through the years, he finally acknowledged her but never more.

She jealously watched as innumerable girls fawned over him and he had his pick at the one who pleased him most. The mere thought would make any sensible woman sick to her stomach but she could only fall deeper into the abyss. Recently, she had noticed that he was seeing the same woman on more than one occasion. So she did what any jealous and jilted ex-lover would do to protect her man. She poured all her resentment and hatred onto the new lover. Though she could only dream of having such a glorious title. No matter.

In her blind rage one evening, after the mysterious woman had left his private apartment, she cornered the raven-haired beauty and told her that he was two-timing her with someone more beautiful and that he was only using her. The fabrication was half-true as he _was_ seeing more than one woman but Eriya hadn't known, she had bluffed hoping the woman would leave him. She was also hoping the slap mark would not be wasted.

Unfortunately for Eriya, the ebon-haired woman didn't, of course, and had instead relayed the whole situation to the man who was the reason for the minor uproar. Needless to say, he hadn't found it funny. Not one bit. To him, not only was it a sign of defiance against him but also a means of giving her the illusion that she could control his life, his fate in some way, however small. And Dilandau Albatou would _never_ allow that. He would not let her insolence go without an appropriate punishment. That, he made sure.

"What do we have to do, Dilandau-san?" a very handsome looking young man with chocolate-brown hair and deep blue eyes asked, devotion clear in his voice. Garnet orbs regarded the young man in contemplation. The owner smirked, his playfully smug countenance returning.

"Before we get to that, I want to show you something," he said, taking out the white package and retrieving its contents. "I think you'll find it pretty funny," he tried not to laugh as he said it but it just looked like he was trying not to laugh _at_ them. He handed some rectangular glossed papers in a short stack to Miguel and signaled for him to pass it around once he was done. Miguel regretted ever setting his eyes on them for as soon as he did, he visibly shuddered and let out a bewildered "What. The. Fuck!", nearly dropping the rectangular items as he looked away in disgust. The silver-haired Adonis allowed himself a genuine laugh, clutching his stomach to show his obvious merriment at Miguel's uncomfortable reaction. It was all so very amusing. Gray strands fell over his ruby eyes and hid the sinister look they had at this very moment.

As the glossy papers were being passed around, reactions ranged from shock, horror, absolute repulsion and disgusted pity. Most cried, "Oh God!" and "I think I'm gonna be sick…" while looking away and others even gagged. All in all, the lads looked clearly traumatized by what they had seen. The leader gave them some time to recover and looked unquestionably pleased with himself. The other members had many questions buzzing in their heads but could not voice them, in fear of their leader's wrath. Gatti however was more daring.

"What does that—" but before Gatti could finish, he was interrupted by an impatient and irritated leader.

"Not now Gatti, I'll tell you everything in due time," he said sternly and poured himself another generous helping of wine. "All you have to know right now is that this is the featured show for _our_ Birthday girl and it's going to be grand. This time, I'm going to enjoy going to Mystic Moon," he said spitefully and chuckled staring at the wine glass he held up to his eyes.

"There's just something I don't understand Dilandau-san, how are we going to organize something so big and make it look like we're not up to something?" the words just tumbled out of Shesta's mouth before he could stop them. That earned him a glare which soon turned into an indefinable grin. The leader hopped off his couch and casually strode over to Shesta, smiling all the while. His tall figure loomed over him. Shesta was now mildly confused as to what he would do but it was too late. In one swift motion, too fast for anyone to see, Dilandau took off his ring and backhanded the unfortunate young man with such force he fell out of the couch. His cheek throbbed painfully and would undoubtedly form a bruise in the morning but thankfully Dilandau had spared him from his more powerful hits. He had been in a forgiving mood. The towering man slipped his ring back around his little finger.

Although the fearsome young man had not liked how Shesta had questioned his abilities and efficiency, he decided he'd let him off easy this time. Shesta was probably just concerned about what would happen; always worrying over people he was. Fool. He opted to "play" with him instead. Dilandau usually let his victims anticipate the assault to instill more fear in them but this time he _wanted_ to be unpredictable, which was also a major part of his personality. He went back to his couch and sat down more gracefully this time. He smirked.

"Simple," his smirk widened, "I offered to organize it." Everyone merely stared at him in awe. They knew the girl had been infatuated with their leader for a long time because she just _happened_ to be wherever he went. Even the lads were getting sick of it. But they also knew she would slit her own throat before refusing such an offer. Their 'Dilandau-san' was _always_ prepared wasn't he. He was a true leader. He was something _else_. Indeed.

-------------------------------

She unlocked the door and gave it a push. "Aya, I'm home," the emerald-eyed girl called out. "H-e-l-l-o-o!" she called out again taking off her runners and dumping them in the shoe rack.

"Would you stop yelling, I heard you the first time!" a young girl with aqua eyes and dark auburn hair barely out of her childhood phase came down the stairs and simply glared at the older girl.

"Did you go to your piano lessons, Aya?" the older girl inquired not paying heed to her little sister's words or attitude. The sister stuck out her tongue and grimaced.

"Did you go to your track lessons, _Hitomi_?" she mocked in a nasally and childish voice. Hitomi frowned.

"You should learn to respect your elders, you know!" she scolded the young lass, putting down her bags on the ground.

"Geez, stop trying to act like you're so important! You're not mom so stop ordering me around all the time!" the girl whined a tad more on the angry side though. She was thoroughly sick of always being treated like a baby by everyone. Hitomi must have felt a vein pop at this moment because she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Yeah, well mom's not here most of the time. She does something called w-o-r-k so I have to be the one taking care of you! After everything I do for you, you're still ungrateful. I cook for you," she started counting off the points on her hand. Wait. Hadn't she done this earlier? Seemed like her unlucky day today. And her anger slowly took hold of her, yet again. "I tutor you, correct your home works, clean up after you, wash your dishes and _worry_ about you and all _you_ have to do is cut me some slack from time to time but n-o-o instead you complain and disrespect me. Well if you're not happy, I suggest you stop acting like a baby and get it together!" she was fuming now. 'Geez,' she thought, 'I'm gonna have to take anger management classes or I'll die early from a heart attack'.

She cooled off and sighed heavily, dropping herself onto the low couch. She felt like there was a mountain on her shoulders, her head was pounding, her back ached and she wanted to rip out all of her hair and scream. 'I see… so this is what a burnout feels like. I am _so_ gonna die young.' But she pushed the depressing thoughts away as quickly as they came. She turned her head to look over at her sister. Her aqua gaze was fixed on the floor. The auburn-haired girl seemed to feel genuinely bad now but still tried not to let it show. She still had to keep her pride intact. How so very much like herself, she mused.

"Geez, you didn't have to get all panicky, you know. I didn't mean to be so mean to you… I'm sorry," she muttered loud enough so Hitomi could hear. "Next time, just… call me when you want me to do something," she had no idea how hard it was for Aya to say this, "and I'll do it," Aya finished, releasing a breath. That was the hardest thing she'd ever had to say. Hitomi smiled warmly. She knew that coming from Aya, it was like moving a mountain. She patted the seat next to her and Aya sat down.

"No, no, you don't have to do any of that. It's okay, I already forgive you. I just want you to understand that it's not so easy for me either. That's all," she said running her fingers through auburn locks. She had become like a surrogate mother to Aya after all those years of looking after her and caring for her. She actually did enjoy caring for others, just, not _stressing_ for others. "So, how was your piano lesson?"

"It was pretty good. I'm getting really good playing with both hands now. I can read music sheets better and Mrs. Lorne even said I was one of her best students. I even taught myself how to play a Beatles' song from the practice book mom gave me," Aya was beaming now. Once you got her started on it, she was hard to stop. Hitomi was happy that her little sister had found her passion. Maybe she would become a great pianist someday.

"That's great Aya! I know you'll be great!" she praised. She stopped and remembered she was famished. "Hey, you hungry? I could make us something to eat. I'm starved!"

"No don't bother, Onichan bought take-out," the younger girl answered matter-of-factly.

"What? Mamoru's here? Since when? How come he didn't answer when I called?" she had a million questions to ask about their older brother. He had moved out a couple of years ago and lived in the Downtown area of Apollo and she had always looked forward to his visits home. But, a few months ago, he had to leave to another city for his work so she hadn't seen him since then and hadn't known he was back.

"Ah ah ah, _Neechan_'s not being respec-t-ful," Aya playfully taunted as if singing the lyrics to an annoying song. Hitomi gasped. She was so shocked at her brother's unexpected arrival that she had forgotten to use his respective title. She had discarded using titles except for a select few she deemed worthy of it. Otherwise, she couldn't care less. "And yes he's here, he's in the backyard. Probably just didn't hear you. They were already here when I came home," Aya said and reached for her favorite book sitting on the table.

"They?" Hitomi asked getting a little suspicious of her little sister's whistling and bobbing her head left and right.

"Well… he's not alone…" and right then Aya burst into a self-induced fit of giggles to prove her point. Hitomi unconsciously reached for her pendant and started to fiddle with it, growing slightly nervous. "Your _honey_'s here…" Aya taunted and proceeded to explode into another set of contrived giggles which turned into outright laughter when she saw the look on her Neechan's face. No one noticed the tall, broad-shouldered man stepping up behind them.

"Oi Aya-_chan_, stop pestering your poor sister," the man playfully teased; his jocular nature betrayed him from maintaining a straight face or any seriousness whatsoever. But that was why they both adored their brother. Always funny and cheerful, he was a gifted tension-beaker. He was also a natural charmer and flirt which was one of the reasons he was so popular with the ladies. Besides his obvious good looks, that is.

"Hey Tomboy 'Tomi! How ya been?" he asked energetically and smiled knowingly when he saw Aya's after-a-good-laugh look and Hitomi nervously toy with her pendant. His slate hair was short but stood up a little near his forehead. Sort of like Tintin except a lot nicer and slicker and not shaved around the "spike" but rather proportionate to it. Seeing Hitomi lost in her thoughts, he continued.

"Good, good! I'm happy for you, really! No, really, I am. I didn't think you'd be doing this great after only two months of my absence," he said, waving a careless hand hither and thither and obviously enjoying every bit of the charade. He loved to be dramatic in times like these and proved to be an excellent actor. "I mean honestly, just look at you! You look radiant! No problem! Oh, me? I'm great too. See, I've been working with my partner over a year now and we're fi-na-lly doing a _real_ case. He's also my senior so he had to show me the ropes all this time but… as you can see… MAMORU KANZAKI IS FINALLY READY!" he exclaimed in an operatic baritone voice while flexing his muscles.

Aya looked up from time to time from the teen romance novel (her favorite book) she was busying herself with to watch her older brother's antics. She was used to this; she had to endure it before her sister came home. Hitomi on the other hand, buried her face in her palms in apparent exasperation but hid her wide smile. She was really happy he was back and only wished she had that kind of energy. She shook her head at him with a beat look.

"So, what's the case about anyway?" she said casually. The buffoon crossed his arms over his broad chest, assumed a stoic expression and cleared his throat rather obnoxiously.

"Sorry Miss Kanzaki, but I am not at liberty to disclose any information regarding my assignment," he said noncommittally. "Damn that sounded cool," he added. Hitomi and Aya simultaneously rolled their eyes. "But," he looked over his shoulder lest his partner should walk in on him divulging information to his two young sisters, "all I can tell you is that it's a cold case they decided to reopen after a decade. And it's a big one!" Decidedly, Mamoru had a big mouth, but despite his appearance he proved to be very dependable and trustworthy in the toughest of situations.

"Sounds pretty interesting. Is someone big involved or something?" Hitomi prodded, just to see how far she could take this.

"Well, as much as I'm dying to tell you, I am not at lib—"

"Shut up!" the girls shouted in unison. "So," Hitomi continued, "what are you doing here anyway?"

"What? Can't a brother visit his family without having an ulterior motive?" he cried plaintively. "And, in answer to your earlier question, big time! It's the victim or deceased at this early stage. Her death was classified as accidental but who knows," he finished. Yes, Mamoru _had_ a big mouth. Basically he was there to gloat about first real case, and a big one according to him. 'Ha! He's so predictable,' Hitomi thought.

"So who's the famous victim?" she asked, smirking.

"There's no way in hell I'm telling you _that_," he said closing his eyes and pressing his lips tightly shut lest the words should _accidentally_ escape his innocent mouth. They both knew he was itching to tell someone. He looked over his shoulder carefully before dropping down to her level, "A certain Ana Schezar, if you must really know," he whispered quietly in her ear and gave her a proud grin. Hitomi thought for a second. She knew that name. She had heard it somewhere. It dawned on her.

"Wait, isn't that the actr—"

"Shhhh don't say it out loud! I'm not supposed to be telling you, remember? No one's supposed to know," he scolded. But no one heard it except her since Aya was completely engrossed in her novel. 'Wow,' she thought, 'this is getting really interesting.'

"So how did _you_ ever get to have a case like _that_?" the teen inquired disbelievingly.

"I'll have you know that I'm a very capable officer _little girl_ and besides, it's still too early to tell if we've got something or not. They found stuff that didn't add up so they asked us to investigate," he said, more seriously this time. "It also helps to have the best partner in town!" he finished proudly.

At the mention of the word "partner", Hitomi remembered that they had a guest in the backyard. A very _particular_ guest. She stiffened. As if sensing the changing atmosphere, Aya, looked up from her book, focusing her full attention on the pair. The change did not go unnoticed by the man and he smirked.

Abruptly, Mamoru stooped down and 'got in her face'. His hand was covering his mouth from 'the public' which was a now snickering Aya. "By the way," he whispered softly, "your _Folkie_'s here!" but _that_ part just mysteriously_ happened_ to be loud. Aya's giggling came back with renewed vigor.

"MAMORU (STUPID)-NIICHAN!" the enraged green-eyed teen yelled.

"I missed you too," he innocently replied. They all couldn't help but burst out laughing from all the happiness and excitement. Hitomi let it out after a few failed attempts at keeping it in. Mamoru had told her she sounded like when "you're trying to start the engine of a car" and that did it for her. It really was good to have him back.

"Looks like you girls really missed him," a soft but deep manly voice cut into their laughter. It came from the hallway. "Sorry," he said coming closer to the trio. "I didn't mean to interrupt but I was wondering where the noise came from. Looks like Mamoru knows how to get the crowd started anywhere he goes," he said happily. He leaned against the wall and gave them all a warm smile.

The very tall man had long light cerulean hair that was half spiked up and half hanging around his face. He possessed the kindest looking almond-shaped eyes Hitomi had ever seen despite their dark maroon pigment. He had a long oval-shaped face with a strong jaw. There was an airy natural grace about him that indicated he was probably born into nobility. It was clear. He was undoubtedly one of the most handsome men she had ever met. Suddenly Hitomi didn't feel so relaxed anymore.

"Oh, don't be silly Folken-san," Hitomi said, trying to sound as cool as possible. The blue-haired man was also another person she used titles with. Not so much because she respected him (she didn't know him all that well) but more because he seemed unreachable. "You didn't interrupt at all," she said nervously and let out a funny giggle. Didn't this happen earlier today as well? Why was history repeating itself _twice_ in the same damn day! She wasn't sure if she sounded as tense as she was. She hoped not. "In fact, I'm happy you interrupted," she realized only too late what she had said. "I mean, I'm happy you came—" Oh God! She was acting like a tongue-tied loser. "I mean—" It was Mamoru's signal to come to her rescue. He made it his personal duty not to let any sister of his embarrass herself like a bumbling idiot. He suppressed the brotherly instinct to point and laugh.

"I think what Hitomi means is that you're more than welcome to join in on the fun," Mamoru said smiling at his flustered younger sister. Folken slowly nodded with an 'Ah I see' expression and smiled dazzlingly.

"It's been a while since I last saw you Hitomi." The handsome guest said. "Aya tells me you're the female star of your school track team. That's quite impressive," he continued, looking at Hitomi with kind welcoming dark eyes. Her pink blush was deepening and spreading viciously. Why did he have to be so darn handsome _and_ nice? She tried to regain her composure.

"Ah, that, well it's just practice really," she knew that didn't make any sense for an answer but she couldn't help it when he was looking at her so intently. "There's nothing impressive about that, I just train a lot," she clarified.

"Well, that's very admirable. I know you work very hard; your brother tells me that all the time. I admire hardworking people greatly," he stated. She froze. He had done it. Now, she was cornered. How was she supposed to reply to that without saying something insanely stupid? Folken. No, _Folken Lacour de Fanel_ just told her indirectly that he admired her._ Her_. She must have looked like a ripe tomato at this moment. Seeing his sister zoning out, Mamoru took his cue once again.

"Yup, she's definitely hardworking! But that makes her really moody too! She has, what you might call, anger management issues," he said to his friend as if it was the most dangerous thing to mention. Mamoru then turned to her with a comically serious expression. "You know Tomi, you need to lighten up sometimes. Maybe that's why you don't have a boyfriend. You scare them all off…" he said matter-of-factly. Hitomi's bad mood made a swift comeback and she forgot all about her initial embarrassment.

"Ma-mo-rru," she uttered darkly, not even bothering with the title anymore, "if you don't stop being an incessant ass, I'm gonna kick your sorry clown butt back to your stupid Police Academy!" she screamed. Sure, she could take the teasing and taunting and insinuations but discussing her love life in public and in front of her first real crush was just the last straw. Mamoru feigned a hurt expression and sighed dramatically.

"See what I mean?" he stated. Tension; gone. They all laughed in unison for a second time joined by their guest. Hitomi felt like she had been in a roller-coaster ride of emotions today, especially since she entered her home and even more so due to a certain gallant blue-haired man. She allowed a contented sigh to escape her lips before snapping back to her practical no-nonsense self. And her practicality demanded that her stomach be fed.

"So, I hear you guys brought take-out," she said, reaching for the big white paper bag. "Wait, let me guess, Chinese," she added sarcastically and looked at her brother who was currently rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly. Chinese it is.

"Okay then, let me go prepare the food and set the table. I'll call when it's ready," she said as she walked away with the food. She was hungry and she wanted to eat as soon as possible.

"I'll help set the table," called a bouncy preteen following her sister into the kitchen. Folken turned to his partner.

"She's wonderful. You're lucky to have her as a sister," he said truthfully. Mamoru smiled his first genuine smile.

"I know," he said simply.

-----------------------------------------------------

A/N Phew! Well that was that! I know it was long, I just hope it wasn't boring. Well, I introduced some new characters! I hope they're OK. I'm not happy with this chapter but what can I do. I really SUCK at description. YAY! Folken's here! Yes he said _Folkie_!

And I love Mamoru-kun like this. I thought it'd be nice to have a goof as a brother and hence the birth of an older, goofier officer Mamoru! Dilandau is so gorgeous! Gah! I love him! I just hope the first part didn't drag on too much.

**By the way, if there's ANY mistake with the Japanese use of titles and stuff, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. **I'll correct it right away.

Also:

1--- a made-up cigarette brand inspired by the British Silk Cuts.

2--- Kherss is also an invented small island. I will elaborate more on it in later chapters but for now, I'll just say that it has the best and most sought after military schools.

To the reviewers:

To **Rina**: Thanks! All I can say for the Mystic Moon meeting is that, it's going to get crazy! Dilandau and Hitomi will meet in the next chapter. Sparks will definitely fly but will it necessarily be a good thing? Hmm… I suppose not! But it'll get intense!

To **Dilly-sama is my husband**: Wow! You're lucky! I wish he was my husband damn it! And thank you SO MUCH! Your compliments were TOO much! I'm just trying to write them as best I could… I just hope my best is not sucky… Yes, Bad Boys are hot and Dilandau is no exception! As for Hitomi and Dilandau hooking up… it'll get interesting but I can't say more for the moment.

To **Litschi**: Thanks! Yes, I shall! I've got loads of ideas. I just hope they work out somehow!

**Thanks for reading! And if you can, please review and tell me what you think! I need major input man!**


	3. Chapter Three: Signs and Meetings I

**A/N**: Well, I wasn't too happy with my last chapter. I thought it dragged on too much. I told you I suck at description! No, wait, it's coz I write TOO much description. Anywho, I decided to make this one a little more fast-paced. Let's just hope it turns out that way! **Unfortunately, Hitomi and Dilandau don't meet in this part of Chapter 3 but they will in the next part. However, there is a surprise meeting between Hitomi and (?)! ** Well, publicity's not my forte as you can see. And **special thanks** to **dmfanel**, **koppoi**, **rina** and **Litschi**, you guys have supported me since the first chapter and kept encouraging me to continue this! Thank you! Also, **thanks to all my other reviewers** **for _taking the time _to review**! It's much appreciated!

**Note:** This one's more Hitomi-centric. But don't worry, the next chapters are going to be a Dilly-full. Teehee…

**Disclaimer: **"My gorgeous Dilly, are you mine?" I asked dreamy-eyed. The Adonis took out his flamethrower and torched me to a crisp. "Not even in your dreams," he replied to my charred remains. "_None_ of us are."

"…" Talking. Erm, DUH, right? Right!

'…' Thinking

_Italics_ mean everything else including flashbacks and other weirdness.

----------------------

A Moment in Time

Chapter Three: Signs and Meetings Part I

----------------------

~

_Infinitely tiny droplets of rain pitter pattered over her forehead like soft sprinkles of dew. It most certainly wasn't raining and not quite drizzling. She sniffled. It was a warm spring evening in the lively city---too lively. And it was getting dark. She could still hear the cacophony of sounds---noise---in the distance. Cymbals crashing loudly, drums beating, voices shouting and singing. The people were happy. She was miserable. She sniffled._

_The drooping leaves from the willow tree she was crouched against swayed and caressed her cheek, as if sensing her pain and trying to comfort her. She wiped her tears with balled fists. How could she have been so careless! She was stuck in a strange city with people singing and dancing and throwing colored powder at each other. And she was lost. _Lost!

_She had no idea how it happened. One moment she was clutching her mother's skirt and watching in awe at the masses of merry people and the next, she was being swept away by a sea of dancing bodies and bright colors._

_She _had_ to do something. But what? She was seven! No one had seen her mother when she asked and she had been too terrified to go any further into the unknown city of bizarre buildings with bulbous domes and others that awkwardly resembled red-bricked pagodas. Everything made her dizzy and the people didn't help. So she came here. To the only place that seemed quiet and familiar. Under this lone willow overlooking the red beach and infinite sea, she curled into a tighter ball. _

_Now they were all singing. She was tired and scared and wanted to go home. Why were they so happy? She covered her ears furiously. Her mother was probably worried sick about her. Her _mother_… "Mommy, where are you?" she asked to any invisible force that might have heard her. The willow's rustling leaves answered instead. She cried. She cried so hard her head was hurting and her chest felt like it would burst._

_She was all alone now…_

"_What are you doing here crying for?" a voice interrupted._

~

"Uhnn," a tired groan rasped under the covers. An awkward arm clumsily reached for the alarm clock buzzing and flashing a 6 A.M. sign in red on the display. Her mussed honey brown hair tangled over her face as she flopped back down on her bed. This was a morning routine she just couldn't bring herself to break. She blinked her tired green eyes to stop them from permanently shutting.

Whenever she had a certain dream that told of a past encounter, she would feel a ringing in her ears, not the most pleasant of things to endure, mind you. She was surprised it hadn't happened this morning. Suddenly, in her morning stupor, she heard a soft echoing wind that sounded like a distorted and ghostly voice. It was swift and spoke a strange dialect that she strangely understood. _It's –ere. Es-ca—f---. You— pro—ect—key. Your---- _The voice then disappeared, replaced by a ringing sound which quickly dissolved into a faint echo.

'What was _that_!' Hitomi was now somewhat alert and slightly shaken. 'I don't remember having any spirits in the house!' She decided to dismiss it as a semi-conscious hallucination, just some after effects of a dream probably.

She got up, albeit very slowly and took her shower before descending the stairs where she was met by a familiar scene.

"Good morning honey," chirped a tired-looking but cheerful woman. She was running around from one place to another.

"'Morning mom. 'You working double today?" the teen asked as she reached for the cereal box and sat down. Hitomi's mother decided not to take the paid summer vacation in order to pay for her children's school fees and other expenses---the payments were running late at the moment. And often enough, she did not really have the option to refuse double shifts when they came.

"I don't know, it depends whether there's enough staff at the hospital. The flu's going around so someone might just call in sick," the woman answered. "Oh no, I have to get going or else I'm gonna be late. 'Tomi can you just watch the toaster for me, thanks" she said as she sped away out the door but not before kissing her daughter on the cheek and bidding her a "great day".

Her mother left for work and Hitomi went for her daily morning run. She had been working as a volunteer for the Community Nursing Home diligently over the weekend and now she had to find a summer job. She worked from time to time at her school library but that was just for pocket money, she needed a lot of cash before moving away to study. The full scholarship paid for her studies and her stay at the university and everything else she might need---thank goodness for that---but there would be the extra expenses that came with studying at such a prestigious academic institution that were unaccounted for and the money would definitely come in handy in those times.

Hitomi was incapable of comprehending the concept of rest beyond what the body normally required. As soon as one thing was finished, she jumped onto another matter. Summer vacation or not, it wasn't an excuse for sitting idly and doing nothing. Yes, she was a workaholic but at least she could never be called lazy as any other normal teen is accused of being. She worked just as hard at home as she did at school so as not to let her mother's efforts and money be wasted but there was a part of her that wished she could lead a carefree life. She shrugged it off, that part died long ago, along with her father. She ran harder, faster.

-------

Yukari came over that night. The girl had been talking non-stop about Mystic Moon since they had first found out about it last Friday. And today was Monday and it was no different.

"So, what are you gonna wear Tomi? You know you have to look ultra sexy. You can't look like you usually do."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" The offended teen crossed her arms and took a threatening stance.

"I mean, first you gotta take care of that poofy hair of yours and stop walking like a boy and—"

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll dress nicely and I'll let you do my hair for Friday. Happy now?"

"Very much!" said a grinning Yukari. "Hey, you wanna come shopping with me tomorrow? They're having a sale at Zara."

"No can do. Folken-san invited all of us to go meet his family. He said it would really mean a lot to him," she replied while stealing glances at her disbelieving friend.

"OH MY GOD! Are we talking about your _Folkie_? The amazingly hot partner of your brother? The aristocrat who renounces the elite society to mingle with us _commoners_? He's so soft-spoken and sweet and gentlemanly and… You're so lucky…" the excited girl sighed and drifted off into her world.

Hitomi never quite knew sometimes if her best friend was serious or not. Sometimes she said things that would come out as sarcastic from anyone else's mouth but she seemed to be saying them innocently. Probably with a hint of hidden wisdom, if you asked her. Hitomi learned through the years that her friend was definitely not as naïve as she looked.

As if remembering something, Yukari frowned at her friend. "Hey, why didn't you tell me before? That's no fair, I tell _you_ everything!" she said pouting.

"I tried to tell you last night you big dodo but you were too busy rambling on and on about Friday and Mystic Moon!"

"Oh," she said sheepishly. "So does Folkie have any cute brothers by any chance, hint hint." She winked. Yukari was incorrigible sometimes.

"Stop calling him _that_! It's Folken you know! And I have no idea. Folken-san and Niichan are coming to pick us up at 10 tomorrow morning," she said sorting out her and Aya's clothes to do the laundry. "But, I have to admit," she paused, "I'm really nervous."

"Of course you are. He's your first real crush and he's invited you to meet his family! Mind you, my first crush turned out to be a dumbass but that's another story," she said waving her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it babe, it's gonna be fine! And if they're anything like him, who knows, you might even enjoy yourself!"

"'Kari, you know it's nothing like that. He's invited all of us. And besides, it's not just that… well, I…" Hitomi couldn't find the words without making her sound ignorant or hypocritical. Luckily, her friend knew her almost as well as she knew the latest fashion trends and that's saying something.

"I know. It's okay. You don't have to be perfect, you know. Just be yourself and everything will be fine," Yukari said with the sort of kindness that exuded only from her alone. "And if they tell you that you're acting _uncivilized_, just tell them to shove it! And then we can come back and throw eggs at their door, okay?" her friend laughed. Really, what would she do without her crazy best friend. Hitomi chuckled.

"It's a deal!"

~

"_What are you doing here crying for?" a voice interrupted. It belonged to a young boy and he sounded annoyed. She wiped her face and turned around. "Aren't you supposed to be over there with your mom and dad or something?" he asked, looking away. _

_His arms were crossed over his chest and he sported a childish scowl. He looked like he was a few years older---maybe two or three. His unruly hair was completely covered and caked in multicolored powder that melted into a dull brown in some parts thanks to the wet air. His white t-shirt and light-colored pants were completely blotched with reds, pinks, blues, greens and yellows. His face had a streak of pink. She would have laughed had it been any other time but couldn't even find the energy to smile. It wasn't her mom._

"_Well, are you deaf or dumb or both? I asked you a question!" he said impatiently. That boy was really trying on her last nerves. Couldn't he see she was upset?_

"_Can't you see I'm lost you big dodo!" she barked back. His expression changed. He looked less annoyed, almost as if he felt bad---almost. The look was quickly replaced by one of indifference. _

"_Well, whatever. You can't stay here, this is my spot," he stated, looking over his shoulder and craning his neck sideways to look over some bushes. "Besides, you're never gonna find them if you stay here." That boy was not only rude but arrogant as well._

"_I know that you big dodo! But I don't even know this city. I'll get even more lost! And didn't your mom never tell you not to talk to strangers?" she huffed. He looked at her, unimpressed. He approached the crouching girl and sat down a few feet from her. He smirked._

"_You're a funny one," he said plainly. "First of all, you're just a little girl and I don't have to listen to my mom if I don't want to. I can do whatever I want and they can't stop me." He threw a rock in the distance. She rolled her eyes. She started to do that since she saw Yukari do it to her brother the other day._

"_Are you crazy? You always have to listen to grown-ups! If I did whatever I wanted, my mom and dad would kill me." Then she thought of the time she stole her mother's pearl necklace to wear it around Cookie, their dog. It was Yukari's idea. "My mom's the scariest," she said reminiscing that moment. She hadn't even realized that she said it out loud until now. She frowned at her carelessness. "So, you shouldn't say things like that!" The boy looked at her curiously. She was a strange one. One minute she's crying and the next she's fuming. Probably has cooties, he thought._

"_Whatever," he said detachedly, watching the calm waves that masked the fury beyond. "So, what are you doing in Artha anyway?" 'Is he trying to be nice now?' The girl narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips to show her mistrust. She took her chances anyway._

"_I came with my family to visit my grandma but my mom wanted to take me outside to show me the big party," she confided. "And we got split". The boy was laughing now._

"_Why are you laughing! That's not funny! Stop it!" she demanded. He gathered his wits and made a loud audible sigh, like he had recovered from the funniest thing in the world._

"_It's not a party. It's called a fes-ti-val and this festival's called Holi," he answered factually._

"_What's a fes-tuh-vul?" She had a little trouble saying it but she was curious now. She turned to him and noticed that he didn't look mean anymore. In fact, he was rather nice to look at. She couldn't tell what his hair was like but it looked soft. The soft bluish aura of the night gave his eyes a maroon appearance---they were very pretty. _

"_It's where people get together to celebrate something." Wait, she knew that word. Her mom said it often when… it clicked._

"_Oh, like a birthday?"_

"_Sort of but instead of a person, they do it for a different reason like a God's birthday or something like that. This one's called Holi and it's the Hindus festival. They celebrate the arrival of spring but it has some religious significance too. Like I care," he said, shrugging. 'He's smart,' she thought. She didn't quite get everything but she realized it didn't matter. She liked his company; she didn't feel so alone anymore in this big and strange city._

"_Oh," she simply said. "Then how come you're not with everyone else?"_

"_I came out to celebrate with everyone but…" he trailed off. He looked at the sea and seemed upset now. His fists were clenched. "But my mom yelled at me because of my little sister. And my dad…" His eyes seemed like they were glowing but that might just have been the light playing tricks on her. She smiled sympathetically._

"_Don't worry, I'm sure she didn't she meant to yell at you. When my mom yells at me, it's because I did something bad and then I say sorry and then she says sorry and we go out for ice-cream and she's not mad anymore. Maybe you just didn't say sorry" she said, not really knowing why she told him all that. "I think she must be pretty worried now," she finished and looked down remembering her own mother. He was about to scream at her about her ignorance of the situation but quickly stopped himself when he saw her expression. He sighed._

"_Hey, if you want, I can help you look for her. I can ask my mom and she'll help too," he suggested, feeling a little guilty for the things he had said earlier. She suddenly beamed._

~

The sun's playful rays danced over her eyelids. It was a nice feeling. She preferred being woken up this way than by her aggravating alarm clock. She brought her arms over her head and stretched from hands to toes and made a funny gurgling sound. She was laughing at herself when suddenly that same feeling overcame her and the ghostly wind spoke again. _It's here. Es-ca-f—ow---. You— protect--- key. Your guardi--- _The ringing then took over before fading away. It sounded like the same thing from yesterday, only slightly more coherent. Hitomi was now very unnerved. None of what the 'spirit' said made any sense to her and what's more, 'There's a freakin' spirit in the house!' she cried to her mind.

She brought her covers around her face and looked for any anomalies in her room. She wasn't one to be easily spooked but this was just too weird of a coincidence. She was used to facing things head on, not things she couldn't see. She nearly bolted out of her room, took a quick and stressful shower and quickly made her way downstairs.

-------

She and Aya waited in the living room. They had said they would come to pick them up at ten that morning. The time was approaching and Hitomi found herself growing increasingly nervous---her palms were now very sweaty. She'd never even been _this_ nervous before a test. Well, it didn't really help that Aya was egging her on. She was just about to smack her sister when she heard a car halt in the driveway. They exited the house and locked the door.

"Hey Tomboy Tomi, always ready as usual, aren't ya!" greeted an energetic voice. Her brother chose the wrong time to taunt her.

"Shut up Mamoru!" She stalked around the car to open the door when almond-shaped eyes kindly pleaded with her not to. Her brother had done such a fine job in distracting her that she had forgotten to greet Folken. 'What a horrible person I am', she thought. She was already making a mess of things and they weren't even at his residence yet.

"Wait Hitomi, please allow me." Folken got out of the car and kindly opened the door for her and Aya and gestured for them to get in. The latter teasingly batted her eyelashes at her. Hitomi silently warned her with a stern glare. She mouthed an embarrassed thank you before stepping in.

The drive was not too long and Hitomi was surprised they hadn't even left East End yet. They arrived at a front gate with intricate carvings in the metal. The gates opened and they drove in. The car stopped in front of a beautiful mansion. It wasn't the biggest one she'd seen but it looked like one of the older ones. This was probably the oldest one in East End, she thought. In fact, it was one of very few mansions on this side of town. They were greeted by a very dynamic blond girl with deep navy blue eyes. Her short bouncy hair bobbed as she jumped in delight at their arrival. Her pretty face radiated with warmth.

"Oh how wonderful! You must be Aya," she said looking at the young preteen who was currently too busy ogling at the towering structure. "And this must be Hitomi, I've heard so much about you," the pretty girl exclaimed as she took Hitomi's hands in hers. Hitomi flushed. "Mother will be absolutely delighted to meet you, come let's go inside." She tugged the green-eyed girl into the large home.

"Hey what about me, Merle?" said a rather crushed Mamoru. "Don't I get a nice welcome too," he pouted dramatically. Only Mamoru was able to turn such a vacuous act into drama. The good humored girl only laughed and shook her head.

"No you don't because the last time, you made fun of my hair cut," she teased as she pulled Hitomi in, leaving a chuckling Mamoru behind. This was his first time visiting his partner's family home but he had met Merle on several occasions when she visited her brother's apartment. Hitomi looked at her very welcoming host. She never thought that aristocrats would be as nice as her. The wealthy students at her private school were all snobs. The girl had long blond eyelashes which gave her a somewhat cherub-like appearance. She was certainly very pretty. Her stature was a little shorter than Hitomi's but the girl looked to be around nineteen.

"It's nice to meet you," Hitomi said, looking a little shy.

"Oh," the perky girl replied putting a hand to her mouth, "how silly of me, I've forgotten my manners in all this excitement. My name is Merle Alexandra Fanel. It's nice to meet you too," she said smiling.

Merle led them down a large well lit corridor with a few paintings hanging on the walls. They came to the main living room where a beautiful woman with golden locks streaked with grey sat talking to a young man with dark hair. They both looked up. The woman walked over to greet them and the dark haired man simply stood up.

"Welcome, you must be the famous Kanzakis. I am Folken's mother, Varie." She was as kind and welcoming as her daughter but there was an aura about her that was hard to miss. She explained that her husband was away on a business trip at the moment.

"Nice to meet you and thank you kindly for inviting us, Mrs. Fanel," Hitomi said courteously. Obviously, she hadn't been practicing those exact words since last night. No, of course not.

"This is surely Hitomi," the woman said looking at Folken who acquiesced with a slight inclination of his head. "And on the contrary, it is I who should be thanking you for coming. Please, just call me Varie," the gracious woman said and Hitomi shyly acknowledged. "And you must be Aya. You are a very talented pianist from what I hear," Varie said looking at the young girl next to Hitomi.

"Well I wouldn't say that just yet but I'd definitely want to be one. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a grand piano here would you? Coz I'd sure love to see one," said a wide-eyed Aya who was still looking around in admiration.

Hitomi elbowed her sister in the ribs. "Aya, behave!" the older girl commanded in a grave whisper. The hostess laughed along with everyone else. Hitomi was about to apologize for her sister's behavior when—

"Please, there's no need, it's quite alright. Merle and I would be more than happy to show your sister. Come this way, dear." The lady placed a delicate hand on Aya's back and gently pushed her toward the direction in which they would go. The woman gracefully swiveled around to face Hitomi once more. "Maybe we could all gather in the main living room to hear Aya play when you're both done with introductions," Varie said smiling at Hitomi and someone behind her before turning to leave.

Uh oh. This was awkward; she hadn't even noticed there was still someone she hadn't met. She was just so nervous that she tried to completely focus her attention on the lady of the house. She hadn't even realized that the last host had already quietly introduced himself to Aya and Mamoru while she was busy admiring Varie for her elegance. Good thing Mamoru and Folken were there.

"Hey Tomi," Mamoru nudged Hitomi's arm, "Folken wants to show me his dad's antique gun collection. We'll be back in a jiffy," he finished, winking at her. She thought too soon. Curse her and her rotten luck. _Jiffy?_ Ha! What a joke! Hitomi was sure 'Mamoru' meant 'gun freak' in some foreign language because the way he would ramble interminably about those things was enough to want to make you shoot your own ears off. Before she could berate him for his improper use of her name in front of their hosts, both Mamoru and Folken were gone.

"He looks like a pretty cheerful guy, kinda reminds me of my sister," said a confident voice coming from behind her. She tensed but turned around.

"Yeah, I guess he is, but he's more annoying than anything else. Your sister's sweet so I wouldn't compare her to my crazy brother."

He laughed, "Well, I suppose we both share the same view when it comes to siblings. By the way, I'm Van." He extended his hand.

"Hitomi," she said, taking his hand. His grip was firm but not crushing. She finally looked at him and for a split second, her breath caught in her throat. He looked very much like his brother except his eyes were rounder, his skin more tanned and he had thick onyx hair that flopped over his face. His eyes shone a beautiful maroon color. Simply put, he was gorgeous. His chiseled features shifted to accommodate a grin when she looked away.

"Why don't we go watch your sister play?" he suggested. "And if you want, later on, I can show you around." She gave him a timid half-smile before following the tall man down a hall.

-------

This was certainly a peculiar day. Not only was she enjoying herself immensely in the company of people she would have blindly hated, she also felt a strange familiarity even though she had just met them. The feeling was especially strong around Varie and Van. They were definitely one of the nicest and kindest people she had ever met. Although she found Van to act smug at times, she decided that it only added to his charm. In the end, she couldn't deny that his heart was in the right place judging from their discussions about politics and world views. She felt a little uncomfortable when he looked at her for the simple reason that his good looks intimidated her but she held her own in their various discussions.

Hitomi studied them trying to figure out why they seemed familiar to her, little did she know, she was also being watched by a pair of maroon eyes.

~

"_Hey, if you want, I can help you look for her. I can ask my mom and she'll help too," he suggested, feeling a little guilty for the things he had said earlier. She suddenly beamed._

"_Really? You'd do that?" She scooted over and hugged him. He stiffened. No girl had ever hugged him before. He didn't _let _them. But he was surprised to find that he didn't mind it all that much. He still shoved her off though._

"_Yeah, yeah. Well, we better go now before it gets too late." He was happy it was dark or else she would be able to see slight pink tinting his burning cheeks. Just as they both got up, she noticed his chain. It was a beautiful chain and there was a small loop hanging off it. She instinctively grabbed the chain for closer inspection. Her hand brushed his skin. He stiffened again._

"_W-What do you think you're doing?" he cried indignantly but didn't have the heart to stop her when she looked so taken. The pink was slowly creeping up on him again. He silently willed it to stop._

"_It's beautiful," she mouthed as if speaking more to herself. It had a red stone encased in the shining metal loop. The stone looked like a swirling storm of red and wine. She had never seen anything like it before._

_He didn't know what it was about her that didn't make him mind the fact that she was _touching_ him. Usually, he pushed all the girls away, they had cooties after all and he didn't need to be contaminated thank you very much---but in reality, he knew it was just an excuse, he was much smarter than that but he liked to believe in it to give him reason to avoid them. Gently, he caught her wrist and guided it away from him and smiled smugly._

"_Of course it is, it even changes colors," he proudly stated. She smiled warmly. It was nice to make new friends in a new place. Suddenly, she felt her hand being grasped and before she knew it, she was being tugged around the buoyant city. Her cheeks felt hot and so was the hand he was tightly holding. _

_He pulled her through the crowd and acknowledged a few people who recognized him. He stopped when he came next to the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her long and wavy golden hair hung all the way down to her waist and she had the most dazzling blue eyes. She looked infinitely kind but she had worry contort her face. When she noticed them, relief washed over her features. Her warm eyes regarded the pair curiously. They were still holding hands. They let go as soon as she smiled at them._

_The boy explained the situation while the angelic woman listened on with concern etching her lovely features. Before she knew it the woman dropped down and gave her the most loving embrace. She felt fuzzy inside. The beautiful woman squeezed her arms reassuringly._

"_Don't you worry, sweetheart. We'll find your mother. Where did you see her last?" she inquired._

"_I don't remember but I think there was a very big fountain," the child answered thoughtfully._

"_Oh, I know where that is. I'll tell you what, we'll wait there and see if she comes back. And if she doesn't you can stay with us until we find her. I promise we'll find her, alright?" the kind woman said. The little girl looked a little reluctant. The boy saw her hesitate._

"_Don't worry, we've got enough rooms to fit all of these people," he said nodding his head toward the crowds, "so you're not bothering us. And if you want," he added a little timidly, "I'll let you play with my games… to kill time." He had no idea why he was even offering. He didn't let anyone play with his games, much less girls. Looking relieved, she took their offer and they all headed to the place where she had said she last saw her mother._

_They waited there, chatting, joking and telling stories all the while. The children bickered from time to time but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. By now, the masses were dispersing and people were returning to their respective homes and still, they were waiting. Just as the girl's eyes began to glisten with tears, a frantic woman with short brown hair and wearing a pained expression immerged from between two of those strange buildings._

_The little girl ran full speed toward her mother and jumped into her waiting arms. Her mother broke down and cried, relieved. After a long emotional reunion, the girl pulled her questioning mother toward her two saviors and explained what had happened. The thankful woman showered them with heartfelt gratitude. When it was finally time to leave, the little girl ran back to her new friend, stood on her tiptoes and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. It was her thank you. She never saw the boy watching them disappear into the shadows of the night and unconsciously touching his cheek._

~

Hitomi sloppily ate her onigiri breakfast that morning. Her eyes were swollen and red and she had a remarkable bruise on the upper right side of her forehead. She also looked like she hadn't slept all night---it was almost true. She had that dream again and when she woke up that early morning, she waited with frantic eyes for the dreadful paranormal disturbance. It didn't come… until she hopped in the shower way later. She was so taken by surprise that she slipped and hit her head rather hard on the tiled surface of the shower walls.

The eerie voice seemed even louder than the previous times and in her naked state she noticed for the first time that her translucent pink pendant seemed to glow. Something vague about guardians and Escafuone---she didn't quite get that part---being here and protecting keys kept nagging her mind. That spirit not only intended to scare her wits out with nonsense but also made things glow and pinpointed a past memory of hers to associate itself to.

Furthermore, she didn't understand why that dream kept appearing for three nights in a row. The worst part was that she could never remember the faces of her saviors. She remembered some details but as much as she tried, the fog in front of those faces wouldn't disappear whenever she was awake. But when she was dreaming, it felt like they were right there and she could touch them. There was a time she'd wish with all her heart to be able to sleep and be taken back in time with that dream but now she wished it would just go away if she had to endure the inexplicable manifestations that followed.

She would have been scared to death a few nights ago but now she was mildly intrigued as to why an entity was so keen on communicating all this to her---given that it _was_ an entity and not the result of her exhausted mind going haywire. Maybe _it_ was trying to tell her something, to come into contact with her---she owed one to Yukari; those "scary" movies actually did come in handy now. That's 20 bucks down the drain. 'How does she do that? She must be some sort of psychic,' she mused.

"Hitomi? Are you okay? You look exhausted," her mother put a hand to the teen's forehead to check her temperature, Hitomi flinched. "I don't think—" the woman stopped and lifted some strands of light brown hair. "How on Earth did this happen? I'm worried about you Hitomi, I want you to stay home today." She felt bad for her daughter because she knew that the teen worked herself sick sometimes and she often felt it was her own fault.

"No mom, I'm okay, really. I just slipped in the bathroom that's all. It'll heal you know."

"I know but that doesn't mean you can't take care of your body meanwhile. You need to drink lots of fluid and you need to rest. I'll get some ice," she started for the fridge when Hitomi abruptly stood up, almost knocking the chair to the ground.

"I said I was fine. I'm gonna go for a run now. I'll see you when you get home… if we're not all asleep by then," she said as she stormed off, not hearing her mother's plea.

Hitomi ran for what felt like hours. She ran so hard that she was in a daze where she felt she could run forever. Her legs didn't feel like they were hers anymore and just repeated the same motion from their inertia. Everything was synchronized, her heartbeat, her breathing, her pace. Runner's high was her drug of choice. The scenery was just one blur of green and grey as her head bobbed up and down. She closed her eyes, and let her legs take her as far away as possible. It was an unconscious decision her mind made to take this body to the one place she loved to come for an escape: near the cliffs overlooking the red beach and deep blue sea.

Tears streamed down her face but she didn't notice them. 'Why do I make her worry so much? She works so hard for us, to give us the best of lives and here I am making her worry. I can't believe I had to go and say that to her… how could I be so heartless? I'm the worst daughter, the worst friend, worst sister, I'm the worst person!' She broke down and cried. She hadn't done this in many years and it seemed like all the years of bearing the abuse from her peers, the pressure she had to be an excellent student and taking the role of Aya's mother and now the dream and voices took their toll on her fragile body. Everything was overwhelming her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was someone here—"

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**A/N:** Well that was it! How was it? I never thought I'd say this but I've unwittingly become a review-whore… meaning, reviews make me happy so… please review and tell me what you think! If you liked it, review, and if you didn't like it, well, at least tell me why. Maybe I can improve and better it on the next chapters… of course no flames would be nice.

To the reviewers:

To **MirokuLover**: Thanks! I'm so sorry I have to make you wait a little longer before Dilandau and Hitomi meet but at least I can tell you it's going to be pretty intense!

To **Limonchik**: Thanks a lot! You'll have to keep guessing about those papers and if you're still confused about it come the next update, then I'll be more than happy to tell you. And yes, he _is_ planning something mean! It's our favorite Bad Boy!

To **dmfanel**: You're too nice! I hope this chapter met with your expectations! Hopefully the next part will too! I hope you'll keep reviewing!

To **koppoi**: Yay! I love description when it comes to Dilandau-sama as well! Ooh, I'm glad you liked Folken's arrival! My Folkie! Haha, I just _had_ to put him there! And he's a detective… how hot! Sorry about Hitomi and Dilandau's meeting… but at least I didn't lie when I promised they would be in the next chapter… it's just in the next part… And as you can see, Van is in this and I've got something important planned for him as well… God I love feeling like I control them somehow… I should be shot! Anyway, I hope to read more of your reviews in the future!

To **Chromewave**: Well I'm glad I converted you into a Dilandau lover! He's too wonderful to ignore! And thanks so much for your compliments! As for the mystery island, well that's going to come up in the next chapter (not next update!) maybe but I'm not sure yet. Yes, Dilly-kun is cruel but manly… and he's going to get a lot more cruel…!

To **rina**: I'm so sorry about Dilandau and Hitomi's non-meeting!lol! They WILL definitely meet in the next update! I PROMISE! Thanks again for keeping on reading! Hopefully you'll keep on reading!

To **Litschi**: Ahh I'm blushing! Thanks so much! I hope this chapter delivered… I'm a bit scared to tell you the truth! I'll try and update as soon as possible. I'm already coming along nicely with the next part of this chapter. So, if all goes well, I should be updating the next part soon enough. Thanks again and hope you'll keep reviewing, your reviews make me smile!

To **neverending**: Thanks a lot! I was afraid people might not like how I portrayed them but I'm glad you did!

To **Megan112**: Thanks so much! I'll definitely check it out… although I only know Full Moon Wo Sagashite… it's been a while since I last saw the show so I don't really remember all the character's names and stuff but I'll definitely check it out.

To **coleadams**: I promise they WILL meet up in the next update! And of course I have to totally agree with bad boys being hot… especially Dilandau… must stop drooling now.

**A/N:** Wait a minute… I'm such a clutz… I've already replied to the non-anonymous ones… I don't feel like deleting them since I put "effort" into the replies so I'll just bear with people calling me a dumbass…** Thanks to everyone who's read and liked it!** Well, everyone who's read this far too… hehe?


	4. Chapter Three: Signs and Meetings II

**A/N:** For those of you reading this, I'm so sorry for the long wait but you'll find that this chapter is quite bulky so at least, I hope I made up for my tardiness! Wellit's theBig Nightand**… **as koppoi says, it's the "Fated Meeting"! Yes,** Hitomi and Dilandau FINALLY meet!** Besides that, there's not much else to say! Except, **thank you to you wonderful people for reviewing, **especially the ones who've stuck with me since Day 1,you know who you are! Hope you enjoy…

**Warning:** Strong language and Dilly-kun being cruel… just a heads up. And you'll notice that I have a fetish for suave entries… you'll see… *cackles evilly*

**Disclaimer:** *Sighs* **None** of these wonderful characters from Escaflowne belong to me. It will apply to every chapter of this fic… if I'm borrowing ideas of stuff from other shows well it shall be duly announced in the disclaimer… bastard… I want… Dilly-kun…

"…" Talking. Erm, DUH, right? Right.

'…' Thinking

_Italics_ mean everything else including flashbacks and other weirdness.

----------------------

A Moment in Time

Chapter Three: Signs and Meetings Part II

----------------------

She counted the blue stones as she strolled down the path she often borrowed to clear her mind whenever she was in this city. It led her to her favourite place in all of Apollo. It was quiet, secluded and one could see the beautiful red beach that Gaea was so famous for---it reminded her a lot of home. She had come here once with her brother before their mother died. It was the last time she was close to him like that. She sighed, thinking about how much she missed those days that were now coiled away in some part of time with happier memories safely tucked inside.

She made her way through the thicket and ignored her progressively dirtying beige pants. Her long hair often tangled in the branches but she heedlessly pulled the strands free, ripping a few in the process and went on---she was almost there. She reached the clearing but met with a scene she wasn't expecting.

A pony-tailed girl was on her knees and uttering something---she hoped it wasn't what her ears caught hold of. At first, she thought the young woman was looking for a lost object so she decided to let her know of her presence---maybe she could offer a hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, closing the gap between them. "I didn't know there was someone here—" Oh. She all but ran to the kneeling girl when she realized what was really happening. "Are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

Hitomi turned her heavy head away and acknowledged her question with a weak nod. She really wanted to be alone right now and hated above anything else to be caught crying---even Yukari, in their many years of friendship seldom witnessed her friend in those instances.

"I'm fine," Hitomi said with bleary eyes. She wiped them hastily with her sleeves.

"Here." The stranger offered Hitomi a finely embroidered handkerchief. "I keep some with me, just in case." The girl smiled worriedly but Hitomi didn't see it.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine." She wouldn't have been as reluctant were it a _normal_ Kleenex but the cloth looked to be more expensive than her new track shoes---they cost her four whole months' pay check working at the library. She would have rolled her eyes if the girl weren't so considerate.

"Please, I insist. I've got more so don't worry."

Hitomi took the cloth with an uneasy conscience and turned to blow her nose as noiselessly and un-disgustingly as humanly possible---how embarrassing. She felt about as good as being given permission to throw up on someone's Versace dress---okay maybe not, but close enough.

Her green eyes finally rose up to meet with the kind stranger's. She had to suppress a whimper---the girl was stunning. 'What's up with all these gorgeous people all of a sudden?' her mind blurted. She felt so plain and boring next to this beautiful girl. Her wavy and natural platinum blond hair swayed in the wind for more dramatic effect. She was well-dressed, tall, blue-eyed and blonde.

Hitomi had to avert her eyes to prevent herself from outright gawking. She slowly got up and dusted off her hands and knees.

"Thanks. Sorry about your…" Hitomi made a gesture with her head, referring to the now soiled handkerchief she was hiding behind her back.

"No problem! I'm actually glad it had an actual purpose than just for show," the pretty girl laughed. Hitomi managed to crack a smile. Whatever social class, she liked the girl already. There was an authenticity about her that Hitomi felt comfortable with---she figured she owed the stranger an explanation.

"I came here to think but, I guess… the view really got to me," Hitomi said, chuckling sheepishly. Let's face it, she had to laugh at herself for it---she was interrupted from a bawling session in a "sunset scene" moment. The girl joined in on the humour.

"It's funny because my brother showed me this place years ago when we were visiting and since then, I like to come back. I guess the view got to me too," the platinum-haired girl laughed, putting a hand to her mouth.

In the name of casual conversation, Hitomi felt the need to ask. "You're visiting?"

"Yeah, I'm actually from Artha but I wanted to drop by to visit my brother who lives in Uptown." Hitomi inwardly grimaced at that. "He's quite busy and he doesn't get to visit very much so I thought it'd be nice to surprise him." Hitomi caught a wisp of a sad smile on her face for a fleeting moment before the girl turned away.

She waited.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to see you," Hitomi reassured, not really knowing if her guess was helpful at all. After an awkward silence, she resumed the conversation with the good old change of subject. "Artha huh? That's pretty far. I was there once; can't say it was the best memory though," she somewhat lied. Hey, she had to say _something_ to distract the girl.

"Oh, why's that?" And it worked!

"Well, we went there during the spring festival when I was a kid and I got separated from my mom during the celebration. I thought I'd never see her again but luckily _some_ nice people went out of their way to help me find her."

"Wow, that's nice. They sound like wonderful people. Trust me; I know how crazy and dangerous it can get in Artha during that period."

Hitomi sighed. "Yeah," she replied, contemplating the sea. 'They were,' her mind finished. She had a look close to regret but the blue-eyed girl thought that maybe she was just looking too closely into her present companion's mannerisms.

Hitomi snapped out from her pointless nostalgia. "Oh hey, my name's Hitomi." She awkwardly held out her hand---she wasn't very good with introductions.

"I totally forgot about that," the girl playfully slapped her forehead and took Hitomi's hand. "Celena A-uhh," she hesitated. She was so used to formal presentations that she momentarily forgot that she didn't have to state her full name this time---well, it was too late now so she made a last minute correction. "Schezar, Celena Schezar. Pleased to meet you, Hitomi," she said, smiling radiantly.

A light switched off in Hitomi's head. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be related to Ana Sche—" she cut herself short before she sounded like some nosy old lady. "I'm so sorry," she said shamefully, shaking her head at her own foolishness.

Damn Mamoru for putting that into her head---she wouldn't even have remembered the name or the person were it not for him. "It's none of my business," she finished, looking down. She never caught sight of the blond girl's wide blue eyes.

"That's okay. I get that a lot." There was a double meaning to that sentence Hitomi was oblivious to. In her mind, it simply meant, 'No, why do you even ask?'

Hitomi sighed, "I had no right to ask you anyhow." How stupid she felt at this moment.

Celena looked at her watch and reluctantly spoke what was on her mind. "Hey Hitomi, I hate to end this so soon but I should probably get going. My driver's probably wondering where I ran off to. But I'd really like us to keep in touch." The girl fished in her purse and retrieved a business card with fancy gold letters inscribed. She took out a black fountain pen and jotted down some numbers. "This is where I'm staying and that's," pointing to the freshly poured blue ink, "my extension number."

Hitomi inspected the card. "You're staying at The Albatou Inn? I thought you said you were visiting your brother. How come you're not staying with him?" Hitomi was aware that she was probably prying too far much but she couldn't help it---it was strange, if her brother was staying in Uptown, then…

Celena averted her eyes from the questioning girl's. "Well, it's a little complicated. He's got a very… different lifestyle and I would only burden him so…" It was a polite request that the subject be dropped. Hitomi frowned slightly but got the message. 'What kind of brother does he call himself!'

"I understand. Well, it was nice talking to you. And thanks for, you know." She unconsciously waved the handkerchief behind her back.

Celena laughed. "Don't worry about it!" She took a few retreating steps. "I really like talking to you too. Anyway, I hope you call. I'd like to meet with you again." She started to walk away.

"Same here!" Hitomi waved. Celena turned around to face Hitomi, not halting her backwards movement.

"By the way, I don't think you're the worst at all," the blue-eyed girl said, throwing Hitomi a knowing smile. Oh, so she had said it out loud… Hitomi's face burned from embarrassment.

"Well, see you!" Celena shouted as she waved and ran off, disappearing through the thicket of bushes.

"Yeah." Hitomi closed her eyes and let the wind caress her damp cheeks. Where did all these people pop out from to totally throw off her set conceptions?

"Why now?" She let the inquisitive words dissolve and float away with the wind.

----------------------

~

"_That's not very nice," the woman scolded for the third time. The boy snorted in response. "You shouldn't scare your sister like that." A cute little girl hid behind her mother's summer dress---poking her little tear-streaked blue face cautiously to observe her brother's mood. The messy boy only snickered. "And you know it's dangerous to throw powder on the face. If she inhales it, it could be dan—"_

"_She'll just cough it out, no big deal."_

_The woman looked at him with disapproving eyes. "Your father wouldn't be pleased with you," she said, frowning at his behaviour._

_The last traces of the boy's playful countenance were immediately driven away by his mother's last stern remark. His lips tightened._

"_When is father _ever_ pleased with _me_?" He asked sarcastically as he kicked a rock. "Is he ever _pleased_ with what I do? Is he ever _pleased _with who I talk to? Traditions and image, that's all he cares about! Well not me, I'm different! I'm just a mista—"_

"_That's enough!" the woman reprimanded him sternly. _

_The little girl had started to whimper into her mother's dress---she had known the moment her mother mentioned their father that it would get like this. Her mother rarely used that tone and the little child didn't like the seriousness it implied._

"_Please try to understand. You're a very smart boy, I don't need to tell you," the woman pleaded with her stubborn son._

"_Yeah, Oniichan," a little voice peeped out through raw silk and flower prints. Her mother spent part of her life in Apollo so she had proudly taught her daughter how to use titles for certain people---including the girl's brother---she normally wouldn't need to. "You should listen to Mommy. I don't want you to get into trouble."_

"_This is all _your_ fault so stay out of this," the boy accused---this time the little girl cried._

_The exasperated woman turned to a man standing not too far and instructed him to take her daughter home. She thought she heard her son mumbling, "Forget it, I'm leaving." She turned around and she realized her guess was correct. She called after his running form but the boy either chose to ignore it or hadn't heard._

*

"_Stupid sister," he muttered approaching his secret spot. The small boy wanted solitude as his only company at the moment so it was no surprise that he was aggravated to find a girl crouching in the exact spot he usually sat._

_She must have been his sister's age and had short cinnamon-colored hair. Apparently, she was lost---well that wasn't his problem. Couldn't she see he was upset? The worst part was that she had the nerve to get upset at _him_---with an attitude problem at _that_ age; she was going to turn out to be a monster. _

_It just wasn't his night---he was supposed to be having fun with his friends. However, he did have to admit that she was somewhat unpredictable so worth his curiosity---for a girl. He knew she wouldn't understand half the things he said but he couldn't stop himself from talking to her---she strangely made him feel at ease._

_He had a good laugh out of her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Now, she was lecturing him---just great, another one. But the look she had halted him from lashing out at her---she was only trying to be helpful, he knew. So instead he offered to help her but he certainly didn't expect her to do _that_---_hug_ him._

_He froze and couldn't get his mind to work so he did the first thing that came impulsively, he shoved her away. Now she was fingering his chain and her little fingers were touching his skin. Again, his mind stopped working normally but this time he was entranced by the strangest green eyes he'd ever seen---it was an amalgam of different kinds of green. They were wide and filled with fascination; he couldn't tear his eyes away from them._

_When he finally snapped out from the hypnotic pigment's spell, he pulled her around town to look for his mother. He didn't know what exactly drove him to grab hold of her hand but somehow, it felt right._

_They met up with his mother and he was secretly glad the little girl would make her forget their earlier quarrel. And oddly enough, he was hoping the girl would stay just a little bit longer---was it mean of him to hope that her mother wouldn't come today? Probably. In any case, he told himself that he wished it so his mother would completely forget about their fight._

_When the girl had to leave, he hadn't even noticed he was frowning but again she surprised him and came back to give him a kiss before running off to join her mother. Why did that stupid and pointless gesture have to trigger such funny feelings?_

_His eyes followed her disappearing silhouette. The golden-haired woman saw his hand stroke his cheek yearningly and sent a tender smile down at him._

"_What a lovely little girl she was," the tall woman said, looking at her son knowingly. "Don't you think?"_

"_No! She was annoying and ugly! I'm glad she left!" he replied gruffly. But even his words sounded horribly wrong. The woman laughed and ruffled his powder-ridden hair. She took out her handkerchief and wiped her hand then her son's face._

"_We have to go home and get you cleaned up." She suddenly stopped and realized something. "Oh dear, I'm afraid we forgot to ask her name."_

_The boy thought for a moment. She observed him._

"_It's ok mom, I'm sure I'll see her again," he said, smiling and looking strangely confident._

"_Is that so," the woman teased. "I'm sure you'd be quite happy if you did," she laughed._

"_Whatever," he said a little irritated. He thought back on the innocent girl's words and turned to look at his mother---he softened, "Mom?"_

"_Yes, dear?"_

"_I'm sorry… for earlier," he said looking as though an inner battle was raging within him. He had his pride to salvage so he didn't want to look _too_ forgiving. The woman's soft white hand delicately stroked his cheek._

"_I already know that," she said softly. She was now fixing him with her calm blue eyes. "You have a good heart, don't you ever forget that."_

~

----------------------

The bloody heap lay sprawled on the floor, accompanied by the delightful melody of Beethoven's 9th Symphony prancing in the air. Why? Just for the heck of it, the imposing man had said. The greatly weakened figure sputtered more blood as he tried to breathe normally without the relentless pain, he winced---it hadn't worked.

The fallen man had his first excruciating lesson never to judge a book by its cover, or in this case a man. He may not have looked it at first, but his tall opponent had insane strength in those long limbs he called arms.

The familiar dark-clothed figure circled the broken man menacingly and sneered at him---he was wiping his bloody fists with a small _white_ towel.

"You're a worthless piece of shit," the towering man jeered brutally. "You deserve to die in the shittiest way possible so we can get rid of your stinking corpse," he ended contemptuously, spitting at the immobile lump as he did so.

He squinted playfully at the fallen candidate and analyzed him---processing everything he'd seen in the last three days. He had subjected the candidate to various methods of humiliation and physical abuse---torture---during the three-day initiation. The merciless aggressor then proceeded to light a cigarette with a flick of his thumb and allowed a taunting grin to pass his lips.

"So, you in?" the smoking man prodded. It wasn't a query but a verbal nudge to verify if the body was still conscious (or alive). The answer to the question was clear---he was expecting only one.

Usually, the candidates who stuck this far were the serious ones---countless had failed miserably. They had enough time to back out before being subjected to harsher trials---including the one at present. The leader only accepted the best and toughest of them as one of his---they proved to be the most devoted ones in the end. The man had shown such devotion. There was a lovely musical crescendo suiting the moment.

"Y-yess," the browbeaten---beaten---body managed to utter.

"Confirm," the man demanded with obvious authority. The previously inert body moved with a world of strained effort and pain, grunting and collapsing a few times before he stood as erect as his broken body would allow him to be.

"I, candidate number 2546, wish to serve under the command of Blaze, Leader of the Ryuugekitai," the bloody man said with unwavering determination. The Organization had been gaining much underground popularity as of late.

The tall man blew the smoke in the man's face. "Good, from now on, you will be known as," he said, inspecting him from head to toe and smirked, "Private Fat Ass. Does that suit you," he taunted.

"Yes Sir, Blaze Sir!" the candidate shouted with emotionless conviction.

"Dismissed," he paused and looked scornfully at the candidate's state, "and clean yourself up. You look and smell like shit." He threw his cigarette at the man and turned to leave the cluttered room. "I want this place spotless by the time I get back," he warned, not looking back.

"Yes Sir!"

*

Shesta was still biting his thumb nail when his leader emerged from the room. "How did it go?" he asked, hoping the leader hadn't been too severe with the new recruit.

"Rather well," the handsome tormentor replied with a wry smile that echoed daggers in the quiet atmosphere---Shesta flinched. "How are the preparations for Friday," he calmly demanded.

"Great Blaze Sir, they're almost complete," the blond young lad replied. No one called the leader by his real name in the Ryuugekitai---this was the world he created and he made sure everyone knew that. Having an alias was useful for preventive measures as well but truthfully, it was all just an elaborate game to him.

"Perfect." Red eyes danced.

----------------------

A caramel-haired young woman---fake---with blond highlights washed down some pills with her trusted bottle of Spray, her plant-based energy drink. Lately, her world was a chaotic _papier mâché _of excitement, anticipation, insomnia---keeping herself awake to savor the moment insomnia---, extreme agitation, elation, depression, dizziness and a certain red eyed God---_her_ God.

She had lost all control over her mind and body since nearly two weeks ago: doing things, mixing things and thinking things that would sooner kill her. She placed herself in a self-induced state of trance to relish very second of this universal breakthrough---she was _untouchable_ now. _He_ had come to her, he finally came to her. If she were to be hit by a train right now, a smile would undoubtedly be plastered on her face but she told herself that she had to stay alive for the big day.

Stay alive.

She screamed a deafening release of the chaos and happiness boiling inside and dropped her exhausted body on her bed---she'd need her strength to prepare for the Grand Night.

On the balcony, her sister let out a sad yet satisfied sigh. Sure, she was jealous but she was mostly happy for her younger sibling---albeit a little concerned as to her mental state. After all, Eriya had been dreaming about this moment for what felt like an eternity, Naria told herself.

----------------------

"Ow, ow, OW. That hurts damn it!" Hitomi cried, rubbing the ache on her head. She was now _very_ impatient---she had to endure the full makeover with those funny facial products that burned your face and others that felt like you were smearing it with gooey grains of sand.

"Stop being such a crybaby, Tomi," Yukari chided. "To look good, we've gotta flatten that poofy hair of yours. You can't go around walking with a blond afro! No wonder you always tie it up."

"What if I don't want to look good!" the golden-haired girl pouted. She was sitting on Yukari's bean bag couch with her arms crossed.

"That's not an option. Now stay still, or else you'll get burned."

"Well, like I was saying, she was really nice."

"She looks nice. I'd like to meet her too," Yukari said absently and suddenly stopped her task. "You know, I'm really gonna miss you… We're gonna be so far apart after this summer."

"Yeah, me too. But think of it this way, if we were able to stand each other for so long. I can safely say we'll be standing each other for many years to come," Hitomi smiled.

"Definitely true," she laughed. "At least I'm happy the university's paying for the traveling tickets, otherwise I'd never be able to go."

"Same here. You're lucky; that Law School's one of the best in America. I'm so proud of you, you dodo!" Hitomi said genuinely.

"Oh please! I'm not the one with a full scholarship to the prestigious University of Evendria in Asturia, you nerd!" Yukari teased with an official tone.

"I am _not_ a nerd," the emerald-eyed girl corrected. "And will you please finish this? I'm sick of sitting here."

Yukari sighed. "Oh hush! It's almost done. Now, all that's left is the makeup and then you get to wear that dress and the heels and voilà!" she cried excitedly. "Oh my God! I can't wait! I wonder who's gonna be there," she wondered, letting out a high-pitched squeal.

Hitomi rolled her eyes and grunted to express her annoyance. "Who cares! We're not going to stay there for long---one hour tops."

"No way! Who the hell stays at a club for only an hour? We're going to dance and for that, we need to get warmed up… if you know what I mean," the brown-haired teen hinted.

Hitomi glared at her friend---she was pushing it. "Nuh-uhn, there's no way I'm dancing and I'm sure as hell not drinking. Just imagine how expensive the drinks must be!"

"Babe, trust me. We'll find a way," Yukari said doggedly. She oozed a strange sort of confidence that made Hitomi weary---the same kind she had when she got her in this mess in the first place.

Hitomi tried to object but Yukari spoke before she had the chance. "Done!" she said, looking at her friend's hair. "Perfect! Now, makeup time!"

*

When Yukari was satisfied with her work, she looked at her friend and marveled. "Wow Tomi, makeup really does suit you. You look different," she tried to find the words, "older, more mature. It totally brings out your eyes."

"Yeah, yeah," Hitomi said, unconvinced. "Let's go get changed, I wanna get this over with. The sooner we get there, the sooner we leave. Is your brother still dropping us off?"

"Yup! By the way, you have to wear those heels," she pointed to the black stiletto sandals, "and that's an order!"

An irritated groan was heard and Hitomi disappeared in the bathroom with the dress and cursed heels. She came out a few minutes later.

Yukari almost choked on her grape juice. "Christ Almighty! You're absolutely gorgeous, you bitch!" she cried, clasping her hands together in obvious happiness. Her mission to "girlify" Hitomi had finally borne fruit.

Hitomi tried to suppress her blush and put a hand to her hip---she looked as ungraceful as they came. "Spare me!" She raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You're looking pretty gorgeous yourself."

Yukari smiled, "Thanks! Now, shall we?"

"Let's go." They both grabbed their purses and left.

==============

==============

"Thanks, Eichi!" the girls chorused happily---actually that feeling was solely emanated from Yukari, the other was just grateful not to be taking any form of public transportation in her current attire---as they got out of the car.

There was a huge line-up in front of an eye-pleasing edifice. A red carpet with golden separating poles on either side was strewn next to the line, where people on the guest list and others with VIP passes were effortlessly ushered in.

The girls ignored the appreciative glances and the catcalls they received as they took their place in the line-up. Hitomi masked her fury with a detached and somewhat irritated exterior but it was difficult to dismiss the hard stares they got---it didn't help that she felt naked and indecent at the moment.

Her teal "flowy" halter dress was the only one Yukari was able to convince her of wearing from her friend's wardrobe. The front was loose---Hitomi was one of those strange girls who didn't particularly like showing off her curves, much to Yukari's chagrin: "You're perfect," the brown-haired girl would often comment on Hitomi's figure but the latter would never budge---, showing off her upper back and the rest of the material tightened at the hip to flow down to her lower thighs in a semi-transparent twirl of blue and teal, reminiscent of peacock feathers. She looked exceptionally dazzling.

Yukari wore a highly flashy silver cowl neck and backless top that showed off her lovely cleavage. The ensemble was only toned down a notch by her black jagged-hemmed skirt---'Thank God for that!' Hitomi thought. At least, Yukari was able to pull the outfit off without looking crude---she had the innate gift of looking fashionable and elegant in anything she wore.

The girls noticed a few photographers snapping a few pictures at the people who seemed to think they were floating on the red carpet---how sickening, Hitomi quietly said to herself. 'They don't even look like _real_ people,' she thought.

"Oh God, is that Princess Millerna of Asturia?" Yukari said, pointing a very indiscreet finger in the air. "And that, is that Brandon Knowles? I think I'm gonna faint," the excited girl exclaimed.

"I think I'm gonna be sick. Who are these people anyway? I don't know any of them!"

"That's because you never watch TV or read my magazines… you would know if you did."

Hitomi let out an irritated sigh. "Geez, how long do we have to wait?"

Right then, a man who was initially trying to pick them up, soon escorted them to the entrance---he acted as the plow. Good thing Yukari urged her friend to keep her fist tucked at her side otherwise they wouldn't have made it there so quickly. The man dropped them like a hot sack of potatoes as soon as he caught sight of some (sexier) women---Hitomi snorted, 'Stupid guy.'

The bouncer took a good look at the tickets and the girls and let them in with a teasing grin and a leer. Hitomi thought it strange that he didn't ask for any ID, but more importantly, why was he looking at them like _that_. It was obviously not the first time he'd seen women dressed like that before---'So, then why?' the suspicious girl wondered. What she didn't know was that the bouncer spoke to one of his private employer's assistants right after the girls had gone in.

While Hitomi was still pondering about the bouncer's strange behavior, as always Yukari distracted her from her suspicions---so did the place. Whoever had done the interior hall or was in charge of doing it, definitely had taste---even Hitomi had to admit to it. The place was obviously inspired by fairy tales and myths---every bit fitting for a club by the name of Mystic Moon.

The venue branched out into two floors which were accessible to the public; the upper floor accommodated the live band and the main floor was reserved for the actual party---and the show in honor of the one whose birthday was being celebrated. Both floors had a stage, the upper for obvious reasons and the lower for various spectacles featured during the night.

The main floor felt like a set straight out of a Lord of the Rings movie. The floor was immaculate and so well-polished, one could see their own reflection. A few flowery shrubs protruded from the ground and in the center stood a majestic umbrella tree whose greenery nearly shaded the entire dance floor---it shed beautiful blue and silver star-shaped flowers over the dancers' heads. Soft grey smoke arose from panels perpendicular to the floor and gave the place a dreamlike atmosphere.

The girls were absolutely awestruck as they stood on the balcony, gaping at the scene below. They unsteadily made their way down the steps, still marveling at the decorations and whispering praises to each other---yes, even Hitomi had momentarily forgotten her thoughts on the shady bouncer and her general weariness of being there.

She snapped out from her haze as one of the silver flowers kissed her face. They sat themselves down on some plush couches near the dance floor. Just a few steps down, people were socializing, dancing and looking like they were having the time of their lives. Waitresses in medieval inspired outifits---very scanty nonetheless---were delivering drinks to the guests of the party.

"I can't believe we're actually here! This place is amazing!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you on the last bit." Hitomi unconsciously reached for her face. "Argh, this thing itches!"

"Don't touch! The makeup stays on, got it!" Yukari craned her neck to look over people's heads. "Please, do not tell me that's Ashton Kutcher!"

"Looks like him," Hitomi replied dryly.

Their conversation halted as one of the earlier mentioned waitresses made her way over to the girls and asked them what they would like to have.

Instead, Yukari interjected snootily, "Ha, how silly of me. I've actually forgotten my purse at home so can you just tell me how much for a _plain_ Smirnoff Ice and I'll get daddy to come by later?"

"Oh, I'm afraid everything's free tonight, courtesy of the wonderful organizer of this event." At this, the waitress had a dreamy expression on her painted face while Yukari winked at her friend. "They decided to make it very big this year for Eriya's 24th birthday," the made-up waitress finished, smiling her fake---customers only---smile and displaying her too perfect teeth.

"Actually, we were invited by some close friends so unfortunately, we're not too familiar with the birthday girl. Is she here?" Yukari was so good at impersonating a snobby bitch, it was eerie.

"Oh, of course. She's right in that corner," the waitress said pointing to a luxuriously designed booth where a girl with some blond streaks sat being hugged and kissed by various people who took turns---they figured that was the birthday girl.

"Thank you," Yukari said, flipping her hair haughtily. "Well, in that case, I'll have a litchi martini." She looked at her friend who was very stealthily concealing a snicker. "Hit—I mean, Cherry, what will you have darling?" Thank goodness, she hadn't succumbed to the claws of familiarity and routine.

In a silent flash of epiphany, Hitomi suddenly remembered why the bouncer had snickered---their "names". 'I can't believe we have to pretend to be these people…'

"Um, I'll just have—" Hitomi sucked with names of drinks---and Yukari knew it better than anyone else.

"She'll have the same thing," her friend cut in.

"What? But that tastes like cr—," Hitomi stopped herself when she felt a pinch on her thigh. "Same thing's fine."

The waitress smiled at their antics---'Those eccentric rich people,' she thought stupidly---and turned to fetch them their drinks but Yukari halted her retreat with a quick query.

"By the way, may I ask who is responsible for organizing this party? I'd love to go and congratulate him," she said, figuring it was probably a guy from the waitresses' skimpy attire.

"Oh dear," the waitress replied, putting a hand to her bosom, "why, it's none other than Dilandau Albatou," she finished, biting her lower lip out of reflex---visions of the flirtatious glances the devilishly handsome man had given her earlier today sprung to mind.

Yukari gasped and swallowed back an "Are you fucking serious!" The girl normally didn't swear unless it was considered an extreme situation but in this occasion, she probably would have---this would classify in the "extreme" category. The only words she found the strength to say were, "No wonder this place is so amazing…"

Hitomi noticed her friend's sudden change and didn't wait for her to return from her "little trip to the moon". She mouthed a "thank you" in her friend's place and the waitress sashayed her way back to the bar.

"What's up with you?" Hitomi nudged her friend out of her daze.

"Do you have _any_ idea who that is!" the brown-haired girl asked, incredulously.

"No. Does it look like I care?" Hitomi retorted. What did it matter if she didn't know who a certain Dilandau Al— Wait a minute, wasn't that the name of half of the things owned around Gaea and the world? "Does he have anything to do with Albatou Hotels and Adelphus?"

"Duh! He's the heir of the Albatou Empire. He's the elusive son of 'Dornkirk', _only_ one of the richest people in the world," her friend said, wide-eyed and stating the obvious to annoy Hitomi purposely. "He's like known as one of the most beautiful men in the world and he's always in the news, but no one can actually get close to him coz he avoids everyone like the plague." Yukari was talking like a reporter; Hitomi looked on blankly as her friend rambled on.

"They say he's a genius with an IQ over 160. And he has all these female celebrities after him. He even dated that model there," she clicked her fingers, searching for the name, "yeah, Katie Malik but he dumped her right after."

"Geez, you know more about him than you do about your own brother!" Hitomi was clearly bothered about her friend's near-scientific analysis over such trivialities.

"I read up," Yukari said, matter-of-factly.

"On pointless things," she finished for her friend, who gave a slight frown at that.

"Oh my God… I can't believe he's actually here." She thought for a moment, "I hope he's here, then I'll be able to tell my kids I saw an Albatou. Whoa!" she said, looking as zoned out as a hippie would---Hitomi shook her head. "You know, he's the one who owns The Vionne. _Surely_, you know what _that_ is, don't you?" she asked sarcastically.

Hitomi eyed her friend with a deadpan expression and sighed---why did Yukari have to take this so seriously. "Isn't that the club that refuses everyone?"

"Pretty much. He doesn't let just _anybody_ in; you actually have to _reserve_ a place at the club, that's if you're lucky enough to be accepted. I heard he checks the list of people who reserve so he only lets in the people he _wants_. He even refused Britney Spears because she didn't reflect the club's style and that… she was too ugly."

"What a freaking jerk!" Sure, Hitomi hated pop singers like her but genius or not, how arrogant and superficial does someone have to be to discriminate people based on looks?

"Well, that's nothing compared to what else they say about him. He's got the reputation of being a Bad Boy; picks fights whenever he wants and apparently he's pretty brutal." Hitomi was sure Yukari would turn out to be one of those old women who gossiped to pass the time---she had even rubbed off her bad habit on Hitomi.

"He sounds like a complete asshole!" the green-eyed teen remarked. "And Kari, stop believing everything you read," she added, a little exasperated at her friend's lack of restraint.

"Well, I know one thing's true. He _is_ gorgeous; I saw a picture and let me tell you, I've never seen eyes like those."

Hitomi was curious now. "What do you mean?"

"You'll know when you see him," Yukari said strangely. "God, I really hope we get to have a glimpse of him!"

The waitress came back with their drinks in tow and the girls braced themselves.

"Cheers bitch!" they shouted in unison and let their glasses clink together. The curtains opened to reveal an elaborate show of faeries and nymphs in beautiful "party" costumes dancing to the music.

----------

Red eyes scanned the swaying and moving bodies below, behind a tinted window and let a satisfied grin swerve his beautiful features. Dilandau plumed himself over the success of the night. He had completely turned the place inside out---renovated the joint from scratch in the span of a week. The cunning man certainly didn't lack efficiency when he wanted something done. He gave those oblivious fools below a little glimpse of how it went down at The Vionne. He had closed the club for the night and even hired some of his employees for this exceptional event.

The room was occupied by the tall man and some of his Dragonslayers. Dilandau had sent Dallet to get warmed up before hosting tonight's _show_. He playfully slapped Gatti on the shoulder who smiled at him before exiting the room---he couldn't wait to see the look on Eriya's face when he would give her his _thoughtful_ gift.

The silver-haired man made his way down the steps---welcomed by gasps and longing sighs. Women suddenly started to fix their makeup, hitch their skirts higher, and send seductive glances his way. The bolder ones swayed their curvy bodies tantalizingly near him. One thing was clear: he owned every single one of them.

A bewitching and tall raven-haired woman immediately swooned over to Dilandau. Her catlike eyes beckoned him.

"What do you want," he asked with parched interest, hand in his pocket.

"Dance with me?" the woman half-pleaded.

He lowered his head slightly to lock eyes with hers and gently brushed his pink lips against her reddening cheeks---her breathing quickened.

"Lydia," he whispered agonizingly soft. Her knees nearly buckled beneath her. "Get lost," he breathed slowly and walked away with a mischievous grin---leaving the woman completely crestfallen.

The "intimate" scene left many jealous and fuming---they were all waiting for their chance to have him to themselves. Eriya had noticed the herd of women flocking to a far corner of the club and realized he had come to join the party.

Two men from his group told her to stay at the booth until they called for her again---they had said they planned something big for her. She obediently collaborated---only too eager to please _him_. As much as she wanted to run over to him, she decided not to meddle in his affairs so she would wait until he was alone to go thank him personally---she swallowed some more pills to nullify her jittered nerves.

----------

Yukari had gulped down nearly two thirds of her martini whereas Hitomi had barely touched hers---the stubborn idiot stuck to water so now she had to go to the bathroom.

"I'll be back," the honey brown-haired girl announced over her shoulder.

"Don't get lost now," Yukari teased.

Hitomi shot a cynical stare at her friend and left in search of the bathrooms. She walked around the large dance floor and couldn't help but notice for the umpteenth time how lovely the whole scene was---especially the flowers drifting down and meeting with the rising smoke. Hidden ventilators were well positioned around the club to create artificial wind---with the flowers being blown by it, it was quite a sight.

The faeries were dancing to the beats of "Promiscuous Girl"---gyrating hips and twirling their bodies in such ways that the mythical chaste creatures they represented were defiled a thousand times over. 'Wow, awesome dancers,' Hitomi commented inwardly, smiling at the irony.

_Promiscuous girl  
Wherever you are  
I'm all alone  
And it's you that I want _

Promiscuous boy  
You already know  
That I'm all yours  
What you waiting for?

She took it all in and failed to notice the man who was making his way in her direction. The collision immediately startled Hitomi out from her reverie and she noticed that the man had spilled some of his beer over his clean shirt.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Hitomi said with a hand to her mouth.

The man frowned and slurred a "Fuck."---he really liked that shirt. He gave his wrist a jerk to shake off the excess alcohol from his hand, not paying any heed to the girl.

Hitomi's remorseful mood quickly vanished. She had said "sorry" and the man hadn't so much as even acknowledged her presence. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' she thought angrily. The man was still inspecting his (slightly) soiled shirt and shaking off the liquid from his hand---some of the said liquid flicked right onto Hitomi's face. She suddenly recalled never having promised Yukari to behave if one of them pissed her off.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" she snapped impatiently. Enough was enough---he could just go out and _buy_ another one for crying out loud.

The light brown-haired man finally looked up from his shirt with a raised eyebrow. Didn't she know who he was? In the dimness of the bluish light, he caught glints of a strange green radiating from the woman's eyes and in his state of alcohol induced haze, he acted on the sudden impulse to gently nudge her into the lighted area.

Hitomi was now outraged---first he ignores her and now he has the nerve to shove her aside.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I was talking to you!"

He observed her from head to stiletto---stopping at certain areas that demanded more ocular attention---and came to the conclusion that she was a fine piece of woman. Especially alluring were those fascinating green orbs that exploded into different pigments of green. Her spunk only made her more desirable at the moment---were he not under the influence, he would have probably been a little more offended and not so lenient (but not that it mattered since he would have reached the same verdict anyway).

"I just wanted to move you into the light to see your eyes better," he said, smiling smugly. Her semi-shocked reaction amused him---it made her all the cuter.

"What about them?" she asked, narrowing her eyes alarmingly. 'I dare you to say something mean, asshole!' She was waiting for his reply and the opportune moment to sock him in the face. 'Geez, he ignores me, pushes me and now stares me down… he's gonna get a nice piece of my mind pretty soon!'

"They're nice," he finished. Her head involuntarily moved back and she blinked her eyes in amazement. She hadn't expected _that_ one and she now was tongue-tied. Congrats!

Her involuntary physical response made him chuckle---she was definitely cute. Damn, he wanted her.

_Promiscuous girl  
You're teasing me  
You know what I want  
And I got what you need _

Promiscuous boy  
Let's get to the point  
Cause we're on a roll  
Are you ready?

Oh yes, he wanted her. "Wanna dance?"

The change in his tone---conversation---and the way his eyes shone with a strange gleam, suddenly made Hitomi notice the fact that he was quite good-looking---his kissable lips and defined chest under his fitting shirt were elements that were by no means helping the matter. She shied away from his gaze and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She spotted the glowing white sign over his head---great timing.

"I have to go. Sorry about your shirt," she said quickly as she nearly made a dash past him.

He grinned, taking a swig of his finely brewed German beer. Not many women refused his verbal advances---much less the way she did. There was a _je ne sais quoi_ about her that attracted him and she was a mystery which made him want to decipher her even more.

That woman was _something_---totally different from the ones he was used to. And that fire in her eyes… He decided he'd track her down in the course of the night to "talk" to her. As he thought of the various ways he could approach her---she wasn't going to be easy---, he saw the familiar tall figure with the casual grin saunter over to him---red eyes looking pleasantly amused.

----------

_A few minutes earlier..._

----------

"Millerna," the Adonis drawled as he pushed the attractive blond woman against the wall. His large hands were planted on either side of her face and he chuckled as he watched her melt under his animalistic manhandling---his dominance aroused her to no end.

She had teased him all night, lifting her skirt to show off her newly tanned thighs and lowering her neckline to show off her plump breasts---now she was getting a piece of her own medicine. If only her parents knew what a naughty little princess she was around him---he smirked.

She panted as he nipped at her neck. "T-take m-m—"

A masculine voice interrupted the woman and passionate moment by clearing his throat and began, "Sorry to interrupt Dilandau-san but I have more news."

Miguel extracted the courage from the fact that his leader had told him to let him know when there were new developments in the course of the evening concerning tonight's event---so, of course, it came as a bit of a shock when he felt a powerful backhand connect with his face, only to slam against the wall from the impact. He spit out some blood and grabbed his loosened jaw in the hope of making the pain go away---good thing he was a sturdy young man otherwise he may not have been conscious right now. He gathered the papers that had flown out of the folder he was holding when he was struck.

The woman who was previously in Dilandau's company froze, unable to utter a single word or make any sound and stood immobile, leaning terrified against the wall.

"What is it," the handsome man barked as he lit his Silver Cut angrily---he'd teach Miguel a proper lesson some other time but now he had to make sure everything went down smoothly; one could never be too careful.

Miguel watched the leader march away heavy-footed---he gulped, bunched up the last remaining sheets and quickly stood up to follow him.

Dilandau stationed himself at a spot near the dance floor and ordered a strong drink. The waitress came back in such a flash that Miguel had hardly noticed that she was gone at all---well he _was_ distracted by something else at the moment. As he saw Dilandau downing his drink in a few quick gulps he proceeded to explain the new developments he read from the notes.

Miguel stopped his more technical ramblings---all of which Dilandau comprehended with natural ease---as he remembered something. "Dilandau-san, what will you do about Darren?" Darren was an "applicant" and his interview was supposed to take place yesterday but things had come up and Dilandau had decided to leave it for another day but the man had been pestering the Slayers since then about his delayed appointment---he was eager to join the Organization.

"I'll deal with him tomorrow," he replied impatiently. "What else," the man demanded as he non-verbally gave the order to sum it up quickly before his impatience got the better of him.

"Oh yeah, the name of the kid who brought the girls in is Jared St-Germain. He's the only one Guimel found who knew any _outsiders_. That's pretty nifty, I had no idea what the tickets were for but—" Miguel stopped his casual chatter and quickly wiped the fond smile off his face as his leader shot him a deadly glare.

Guimel Valois was their last inclusion to the Dragonslayers as he joined just a few years ago and he was the only one who personally knew people from outside their large elitist circle. Dilandau had handed two tickets in an envelope to be discarded to outsiders over a week ago but Miguel had no idea why until the cunning leader explained the details of his devious plan. After all these years, Dilandau still managed to astound him over and over again with his genius and twisted mind.

Miguel rapidly resumed his fact stating, dreading another hit, "He's an ambassador's son and he wants to join the Organization too," the man said diplomatically.

The leader snorted with derision. 'All these wannabes,' he thought. "We'll see if he's worth the interview," he said wearily, looking away with disinterest and perusing over the crowd. He called over the waitress again---who was gaping at him from not too far---and ordered another drink.

Miguel went on, going over the remainder of the technical details.

The silver-haired Adonis' attention, however, was being diverted to something else. Not too far away, Gatti was talking to someone---a girl. It was funny from where he was standing---Gatti seemed enamored with the woman and the woman seemed to be fuming at him. Now that was a first.

He saw her scrunching up the material of her pretty dress at her side---obviously trying to stop herself from slapping him---and he couldn't help but notice her athletic long legs. What a desirable picture she made without even knowing it. He let his red eyes trail over her slender and curvy body. Her straight long honey brown hair fell over her back which he suspected was muscular yet feminine. Her naked arms were creamy and defined. He guessed she either trained regularly or did some sort of sport---she looked fit. He imagined the flat abdomen and firm buttocks she was hiding under her dress---he unconsciously licked his lips. He had to give it to him, Gatti definitely had taste.

It was strange, it wasn't her sex appeal that was particularly enticing, in fact, he was surprised to find that she wasn't all that sexy in the proper term---at least not compared to all the women he had been with---but she had something that made her different from all the women he'd met up till now. And that was what made her so damn appealing. He brought his attention to her face and noticed bright green orbs---'Hmm, interesting.'---behind impossibly long black eyelashes and a diamond-shaped face with high cheekbones.

Spying the unsuspecting woman with a tilted head and superior air, he blew the smoke amusedly as he watched her face redden from anger. 'So much pride,' he thought, pleased---females around him lacked that trait so it was very refreshing to see one who had plenty of it. He started to wonder if she'd have much of it if he were to make himself known to her---it would definitely be entertaining should he decide to _play_ with her. He thought of going there---he was sure Gatti wouldn't mind if he _borrowed_ his company for a while.

_Promiscuous Girl_

_Wherever you are  
I'm all alone  
And its you that I want _

Promiscuous Boy  
I'm calling your name  
But you're driving me crazy  
The way you're making me wait

Promiscuous Girl  
You're teasing me  
You know what I want  
And I got what you need

Promiscuous Boy  
We're one in the same  
So we don't gotta play games no more

He was suddenly curious to know how she would look like dancing and losing herself to the music. The handsome man waltzed over to them---completely ignoring Miguel's protests. But the girl had left in a flash and he chortled---did she have any idea that that only increased his desire for her? Little did she know, he'd find her easily and make her beg for him---like all the others. Anyone who was worth Dilandau Albatou's attention would know of it.

Gatti was still off in his own little world by the time he had reached him---what an impression that woman had made on him. Gatti finally noticed his leader and greeted him with a lopsided grin.

"Who was that," Dilandau queried with an obvious interest which he concealed beneath layers and layers of controlled indifference. Gatti was too distracted anyway.

"I didn't get her name but she sure is something," he smiled. Gatti didn't know what force made him turn to Dilandau at that precise moment but as he did, he swore he saw a look on his face he'd never witnessed before---a look akin to longing. No way, not Dilandau.

Gatti blinked his smoke stung eyes and expressed relief when his leader had his customary look of superiority, the one he had to get what he wanted. Either way, Gatti would lose this one too… oh well, it wasn't anything new. Maybe he'd have fun watching Dilandau work his irresistible charm over the woman and watch her fall hopelessly and madly in love with him---like all the others. Why did it have to matter anyway? There were plenty other women for him. The good-looking young man sighed.

"This is going to be fun," the Adonis breathed ambiguously, twirling his tobacco stick between his fingers.

----------

As Hitomi made her way back to Yukari, she walked past a stunned Jared who ogled her as if he had seen a human for the first time in his life. Hitomi "haha-ed" him in the face as she passed by---'Take that! Hope the cat chewed your tongue, bastard!' Yukari was irritable by the time she got back.

"What took you so long?" she asked, sulking. "I wanted to dance, you know! And there were all these weird guys harassing me."

"Sorry but I had to get rid of some weirdoes on my side too," Hitomi said apologetically. She would die before admitting that she bumped into a cute guy---even if he was a tad strange.

A few electronic droplets of sound leaked from the massive speakers and Yukari squealed in excitement as she recognized the familiar sonance---it was their song. Hitomi was happy they put something she could finally relate to. In an instant, Yukari wildly tugged Hitomi and lead them to the dance floor---much to the pleasure of a few men who had been scrutinizing their every move from a nearby table---before she could resist and the synthetic beats to Depeche Mode's "John the Revelator" dropped as they reached the mist-filled atmosphere.

_John the Revelator  
Put him in an elevator  
Take him up to the highest high  
Take him up to the top where the mountains stop  
Let him tell his book of lies_

Yukari got into the groove straight away and encouraged Hitomi to "get into it" as well, smiling and bopping her with her hips. As Hitomi looked around the mass of swaying bodies, she watched as they parted to let through a few people. She recognized the man she had bumped into and he nodded a smile in her direction. 'Is he important or something?' A few other people---all respectively very good-looking in their own rights---whirled out of the mist one by one. The last of them stepped out of the brume and she thought for a moment that she was witness to a vision---a ghostly appearance.

_John the Revelator  
He's a smooth operator  
It's time we cut him down to size  
Take him by the hand  
And put him on the stand  
Let us hear his alibis_

How was it possible for a man to have hair like that? It wasn't grey or white but _silver_---the shiniest and healthiest silver she'd ever seen. The soft argent strands undulated and fell near his eyes---orbs that scorched a crimson storm and swirled into an inviting trance. Never had she seen anything like it. They birthed feelings of primal needs and instinctive wants---"Act first, think later," they incited. His curled eyelashes slanted slightly at the corners and gave his sanguine orbs a sort of sad expression that made them all the more intriguing. His skin was perfectly white and glowing with youth. Egads, he was sinfully beautiful---it was otherworldly.

The last of the misty residue licked his stately frame---she gave him around 6"2---as he materialized completely. He gracefully walked past her and gave her a mockingly seductive sidelong glance that screamed, "I saw you watching."

Her green eyes widened---how long had she been staring? She mentally slapped herself for her uncharacteristic carelessness. 'What was I thinking?' she scolded herself. It was probably just the timing with the song that enhanced his spectacular entrance---'Yeah, that's it, it was just the song.'

The tall man was now leaning against a white column where he was smoking and drinking from his beer bottle---he was still eyeing her with an amused expression and furthermore, he looked devastatingly handsome. She felt drained by his violating red eyes. Was it the blaring speakers resonating in her chest or something else?

Her eyes quickly searched for a distraction and found Yukari totally engrossed in the song---no help there. Hitomi did the only thing she could to keep herself from squirming away from the man's probing rubies---she joined Yukari and willed her mind and body to disappear into the music. Thankfully her body complied and she moved in sync with the beats.

_Seven lies, multiplied by seven, multiplied by seven again  
Seven angels with seven trumpets  
Send them home on the morning train_

Hitomi stole a sideways glance and found a woman wrapping her arms around the red-eyed man and shamelessly rub her "assets" against him but the man never tore his intense gaze away from her and simply shoved the woman off nonchalantly. He tipped his head back and took a swig, grinning sensually through the rim of his bottle. Her pulsating chest seemed uncontainable now and there was a strange knot in her stomach---she kept dancing.

----------

Dilandau watched the attractive woman thread her fingers into her soft long hair as she danced under the falling petals and flowers. She kept her eyes closed as she twisted and turned her body sexily---what a show. There were a variety of girls scattered on the dance floor who did much cruder things to win his attention but he discarded every one of them. That woman with the strange green eyes and honey-brown hair drew him in like no other---much of his growing curiosity pertained from her earlier uncommon behavior---and he wanted to unravel her mystery.

He wasn't oblivious to the fact that she knew he was watching---it made it all the more exciting to know that she was doing this for his pleasure---, luring him to watch her body's poetry. He smirked, blowing out the smoke into her direction. He knew she was under his spell the moment she saw him but he decided to keep his distance to observe her. He'd move in at the right moment---it was all about timing.

----------

Gatti watched back and forth between his leader and the woman who was the object of his current want---the sexual tension was so thick, it was palpable. He saw the beautiful woman move her body at the song's command, unaware of his teal eyes regarding her and he smiled---she was now officially out of his grasp. He quickly gulped down the remainder of his beer.

_Well who's that shouting?_  
"_John the Revelator!_" the enthusiastic crowd screamed.

_All he ever gives us is pain  
Well who's that shouting?_  
"_John the Revelator!_" they screamed again.

_He should bow his head in shame_

Hitomi was surprised the people even knew this song collectively but she enjoyed screaming out the words with everyone---so had her friend who was now busy dancing with a random guy who had appeared. Hitomi was about to shoo him away until she saw the "OK" sign her friend gave her---great, now she was dancing alone.

Of course that freedom was short-lived as one of the 'male vultures' who were surrounding them decided to go for the plunge. The huge alcohol-reeking man cheaply caught her from behind---placing his humongous hands on her hips and thighs.

She whirled around in anger, ready to tell the obscene man off when she was unexpectedly submerged in an alcoholic embrace. She tried untangling herself from his vice-like grip and gave him a half-assed punch in the ribs---damn, he was either too sedated by the alcohol to feel the impact or so strong it hadn't affected him.

In any case, her arms were more or less pinned at her sides so it wasn't much of a hit anyway. The way he was holding her made it impossible to even knee him in the groin. "Damn it!" she spat through clenched teeth. The other men loitering around were too afraid by the man's impressive build to attempt helping her. 'Cowards!'

She looked to Yukari for help but the girl was too far away. She cursed loudly and turned toward the red-eyed man. He was giving her a mocking smile---she couldn't believe it. 'That asshole!' She wanted to throttle the life out of that arrogant demon-eyed freak right now and failed to notice the huge man's slimy hands slithering their way up her thighs.

----------

Gatti was infuriated by the classless man's lowly behavior and as he came to stomp his way over to them, he was stopped dead in his tracks by the coldest red stare.

"Wait," Dilandau commanded lowly, still leaning against the column. She was his business now---Gatti had no say in the matter anymore.

----------

"Stop it, you asshole! That's disgusting, get off me!" she cried, outraged. Hitomi tried to push him off with all her might but he was immobile and still examining her with his offensive hands. She had to think of something quickly to scare him away before he did more foul things---'Think, use your head.'

"Stop it or else… I'll call my boyfriend and he'll beat the shit out of you," she warned dangerously---'Please, please let this work,' she prayed. Nope---was she _that _transparent? The man only let out a sloppy laugh through hiccups of foul smell. "Urgh." She moved her head as far away from his disgusting hot breath and vaguely saw the silhouette of a tall man approaching.

"Sorry I'm late," the figure said teasingly. "Babe," he finished with a smirk. He had a velvety voice that could quell a raging sea---that's the impression Hitomi got from the tone it possessed. Despite the loud music, he didn't need to scream to be heard---it was a voice that was used to projecting naturally. She knew before looking that it was _him_. He was standing tall with his head tilted to one side to demonstrate his authority.

"Psst," the silver-haired man susurrated playfully and tapped the intoxicated man on the shoulder.

"What the fu—" The perpetrator stopped short of telling the man off as he turned around---his face glaciated in terror. He definitely recognized those trademark demon red eyes and immediately shrunk away in defeat, uttering a quick, "I'm very sorry. I didn't know she was with you."

Before the man could scamper away the red-eyed man caught him violently by the collar of his shirt and whispered some words into his ear, looking straight at Hitomi as he did and she saw the sorry man blanch in fear. He threw the terrified goliath savagely onto the hard floor---the poor man crawled away whimpering incoherencies. He smiled and turned to face her.

"Better, wouldn't you say?" the handsome man baited. Now that he was at close proximity, she got a better look at him. He was wearing a nice grey dress shirt with dark pants. He had the sort of body type that made anything look good on him without even trying to---like now.

He was tall, lean and she noticed that his shirt fit snuggly---but loose enough to make you wonder---over his muscular chest. The top buttons were undone and a thin chain was visible---so was his collarbone. There was a small ring piercing through his left earlobe. God, he was even more breathtaking up close---Hitomi was thankful that the earlier struggle with the drunken man left her flushed otherwise it wouldn't have been so easily excusable. He let a self-satisfied grin make its way to his cheeks.

'Argh, not again!' she screamed internally. Hitomi looked away and assumed an irritated stance.

"You didn't have to go that far. I was handling it just fine," she said irascibly.

"Were you? I could have sworn you were asking for my help."

How highly did he think of himself to give that kind of shameless answer---Hitomi was now genuinely annoyed. Apparently, she hadn't caught on to the subtle humor.

"Well I wasn't. I was waiting for the right opportunity to shove him off and beat the crap out of him if you must know," she said noncommittally. Why did she have to act like a 7 year-old? Why couldn't she say something more mature and poignant? She held back a nervous giggle.

"I'll keep that in mind next time," he humored her. No one ever spoke to him like that and he found that he quite liked it coming from her. She was cute when she pretended to be offended---what an unpredictable creature she was. He was half expecting her to shower him with gratitude or play into his wanton game and the fact that she didn't do either only augmented his interest---as well as his desire. He had the insatiable urge to dissect her (enigmatic nature).

What was that supposed to mean? Did he mean— "Are you saying that I can't take care of myself?" she said, somewhat insulted and grumpily blew away the irritating honey-colored strands that fell over her face.

"Me," he threw his hands up in the air in mock hurt, "I would never insinuate such thing." He watched her narrowing her eyes warningly. This was fun---the look on her face was priceless. He decided he'd carry on with the charade a little longer---no one amused him quite the way she did. "But you know," he paused, "the _right opportunity_ might not come up again," he said cryptically.

Hitomi was stumped---why was he talking in parables? She couldn't grasp his ambiguous way of communicating. To top it off, he was eloquent when he spoke and she suddenly felt very stupid. So that was his goal. 'How dare he make me feel inferior!' Who cares if he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen---she couldn't get over the fact that he actually beat Folken and that in itself spoke volumes---, he would get a piece of her mind just like everyone else. She planted a slender finger to his chest.

"Listen buster, I don't know what you're implying but I'm not playing into your game, got that!" Now there was her good old spunk! She felt more in control now that she had that out of her system.

He looked down at her audacious hand and raised a silver brow at her. Luckily for her, she didn't know the half it yet. She was unpredictable alright---but so was he. He wrapped his long fingers around her small hand and grinned charmingly down at her, never losing his smug countenance.

"I was only trying to give you a friendly piece of advice."

Her heart was thumping erratically in her chest. His hand was warm and he smelled so good---and why was he looking at her like that. That red penetrating gaze of his---she felt woozy.

"W-well don't!" she said a little too breathily for her taste. It was intended to be spoken strongly and full of confidence but instead, it came out weak and languid.

He contemplated her for a moment, squinting his eyes analytically. 'Such a tough exterior,' he thought. She was still putting up a fight. What was she defending? Why wouldn't she just give in like everyone else? No wonder Gatti was so smitten by her.

Her eyes held specks of jade and beryl and there was a persistent fire blazing in them---they were large, mesmerizing. And for a split second he would have admitted to being lost in them---maybe even disarmed---but then again he'd met many a beautiful and exotic woman whom he had effortlessly possessed and the way things were going down, she was possibly just another one to add to his string of conquests. And yet still…

He shrugged, "Fine by me."

He stumped her again. What was wrong with him? Why was he so inconsistent? She even thought she saw a flickering waver of genuineness behind his mocking eyes. Maybe she shouldn't be such an ungrateful bastard. He was still holding her hand firmly against his hard chest. She gulped and stepped over her pride before she changed her mind.

"Thanks… for cutting in," she looked away embarrassed. "Rescue" and "save" were not in her vocabulary.

"You're welcome," he replied smugly. He lowered his face to hers, earning him a small gasp and breathed on her ear for a few excrutiating moments---an eternity all its own. He inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla and lavenders.

"But, you do realize that implies that you have to let me dance with you now," he paused, "don't you?" he whispered suggestively.

Those green orbs were softening, the fire was waning---she was losing. He watched her flutter her shimmering eyelids shut from the corner of his eye.

He was so close his soft silver hair was grazing her cheek---why were her insides doing funny flips? Her body was an automaton now; it was operating on its own without consulting Hitomi. He was a total flirt but damn he was good at it. It was just sheer willpower that prevented her legs from giving way---there was no way… (Oh God,) she'd let… (he was stroking…) him… (her hand.) win. 'Stop panting, you idiot girl,' she commanded herself.

At that moment, Hitomi recognized a familiar shriek---Yukari. She lifted her head abruptly and saw her friend with chestnut eyes as wide as saucers and an open mouth---Yukari's partner nearly did the same.

"What happened?" Hitomi mouthed to the stupefied girl but Yukari suddenly jutted out a careless 'thumbs up' at her---she was probably tipsy from being bought drinks by the guy she was with. 'Oh no she didn't!' Why did she have to purposely embarrass her like that?

His silky laughter permeated portentously and she instantly flushed from deeper embarrassment. She hastily broke away from his grasp and stalked toward her friend---she would have a "word" with Yukari---when she was unexpectedly whisked back by a strong hand binding her wrist.

"I wasn't finished with you," he called, feigning disapproval at her unannounced departure. He was eager to cut to the chase and he hated delays and interruptions---especially now.

Shock etched her pretty features. Where were his earlier manners? "How dare y—" she didn't get to conclude her tongue-lashing as a blond-haired man---one of the men he had come with---appeared and cupped his hand to the tall man's ear, reporting something quickly before disappearing amidst the crowd.

Dilandau raised his eyebrow at the girl and gave her a good look over. If what Shesta said was true, then… 'That's too bad,' he thought. 'Just when it was starting to get interesting.' Oh well, he'd just have to sit back and enjoy the show for now. He would just find himself another _playmate_ somewhere else because in all honesty, that's all she was, wasn't it. At least, it had been ages since he'd been this amused and perplexed by the opposite sex---he gave her that much. It was fun while it lasted.

He let go of her wrist without warning, stood to his full height and assumed a detached and indifferent air. He smirked down at her.

"Nice talking to you, _Cherry_," he said dispassionately. "See you around." He walked away coolly; hand in his pocket and seeming as though nothing had ever transpired between them.

'What just happened?' she asked herself, clearly bewildered by his sudden change in disposition. A chill involuntarily ran down her spine---he was so different, so distant and… cold. She hadn't even had time to let the words sink in when Yukari ditched her partner and rushed over to her bemused friend.

"Oh my fucking God Hitomi, do you have any idea who that was?" Yukari was cradling her head between her hands and trying to show the gravity of the situation with contriving pants.

But Hitomi was still under the daze of trying to figure out what had happened. 'How stupid could I be to let my guard down like that! I knew there was something fishy about him!' "I…"

"Babe, look around you." She turned her friend to face the crowd degree by degree. "See all those girls? Well they probably hate your guts. Wanna know why? You're probably the luckiest girl tonight. Wanna know why? Because, you babe, were approached by—"

"That cheap BASTARD!" the suddenly infuriated girl screamed, shaking with frustration. Much of the nearby crowd looked at her, puzzled. How could he have dismissed her so cheaply? Did he think she was a disposable rag doll or something! 'To think that I even found him attractive---okay gorgeous!' Her blood positively simmered.

"Uh no, actually that was—"

"That's it! Call Eichi, we're leaving NOW!" The green-eyed girl grabbed her best friend's arm and pulled her, heading for the exit.

Unfortunately, the crowd started to precipitate near the stage---where the faeries had previously made their performance---, blocking the exit. They turned their heads to the stage area and found a very confident man in a tuxedo holding the microphone. The background was kept from the faeries' show---there were beautifully carved pillars of stone and everything. It was breathtaking; grandiose to the very last minute detail. It was obvious where much of the money went to.

Next to him was a woman with caramel hair and blond streaks wearing a gorgeous and revealing outfit that embraced her perfect curves---she looked very "made-up". She was waving excitedly to her friends. The music gradually came to a stop.

The man looked like he was about to laugh. As he spoke, the speakers suddenly boomed his boisterous voice.

"_Well, good evening ladies and gentlemen. Rather, good night. Oh and do tell your partners I say good morning too,"_ he bantered artfully. The ones who got the joke laughed, the others looked on curiously.

"_My, what beautiful people you are! You all know why you're gathered here tonight, don't you? Alright, alright so you're here to party,"_ he laughed.

"YEAH!" the crowd hollered in unison.

"_But you're also here to celebrate this lovely young woman's 24th birthday,"_ he said gesturing to the woman next to him. _"Am I right?"_ He tucked his longish brown locks behind his ears.

"YEAH!"

"_Now, now. Settle down folks, you don't want to scare the Birthday Girl off even before her tribute, now do you?"_

"NO!"

The man cracked a few jokes before handing the microphone to Eriya who thanked everyone for coming. She didn't fail to throw heartfelt praises in adoration of the man who made all of this possible. Somewhere in the large hall, a man snickered maliciously.

The girls looked on, curious to see what they had planned. Hitomi scanned around her---she didn't want to admit to herself that she was searching for someone in particular. 'I'm just looking around,' she convinced herself.

"_Alright, before we start, we have two very _special_ guests who'd personally like to wish Miss Eriya a Happy Birthday. They also have a special surprise for you Miss Eriya,"_ he said smiling at the excited woman.

Suddenly, a white spotlight shone over Hitomi and Yukari's heads---they blanched. They simultaneously turned to each other, hoping to God it wasn't them. As they looked around for confirmation, two hefty looking men in black showed up next to them and wordlessly escorted them to the stage.

Hitomi broke into a nervous sweat, heart racing frantically as she climbed the steps while Yukari convinced herself that perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as they were anticipating---she decided to make the most of it and plastered on a smile.

As the girls stood awkwardly on the stage, Eriya regarded them curiously but the excitement was still clear in her eyes.

The host continued after giving them an appreciative once over. _"Go ahead girls, now's not the time to get shy. In fact, "shy" is probably not in your vocabulary, is it girls?" _he laughed.

Not having time to bear close examination into his strange question, the girls were each handed a microphone and wished Eriya "happy birthday" albeit very clumsily. 'I bet we look so stupid up here!' Hitomi thought exasperated and eager to leave this cursed place as soon as possible.

The disorganization and awkwardness left Eriya little perplexed but she scolded herself quickly for momentarily losing faith in Dilandau. It was probably all part of an act.

"_Girls, I think it's time you properly introduced yourselves,"_ he said in a mock expression of seriousness._ "Can't leave the Birthday Girl guessing, now can we?"_ He reminded Hitomi a little of Mamoru except this man seemed two-faced, not genuine in the least bit.

They dreaded this moment since they'd gotten on stage. Hitomi absently reached for her pendant but her hand met with the soft material of her dress---it was hidden behind the dress' top. 'Great.'

"Umm, I'm Alexa," Yukari said nervously. Hitomi stayed silent, deciding whether or not she should make a dash for the exit. Her face and neck were noticeably flushed even from far away. 'I want to crawl in a hole and die.'

"_Well? Come on girl. Don't leave the audience hanging."_

Enter a long pregnant pause.

"I-I'm Ch-Cherry," she stuttered apprehensively.

At that, Eriya was inwardly taken aback. 'Cherry and Alexa? It can't be…'

"_Well let me tell you folks what makes this so special. You see, these lovely ladies you see here are aspiring _actresses_ and they named themselves in honor of two women they greatly admire. Two women who made a big _splash_ in the _entertainment_ industry. A great duo they were,"_ he pretended to reminisce._ "And one of those women happened to be our wonderful Eriya's mother. Isn't that great?"_

'Oh shit, what is he talking about!' Hitomi dug in the recesses of her mind to remember if she had ever said such thing to anyone in the course of the night. 'FUCK no!' She felt faint. What was going on here? She was seriously going to be sick if this went on much longer. Wait. Maybe it was Yukari. She might have blurted out some lies to cover them up while she was in a state of alcoholic stupor but she dismissed that idea as soon as she saw her friend---Yukari was in much the same predicament.

Eriya's eyes widened in horror. 'No, no, no this can't be happening… This is not real. It's all an illusion. An illusion.'

"_Yes, that's right. Their names were none other than Cherry Glitz and Alexa Steels. You young folks probably don't remember them but they were the most sought after actresses of the underground scene."_

Eriya was sculpted in place with the same horrified expression she had a few minutes ago. But the girls were frantically searching for a way out.

"_Let's grace the curious audience with an excerpt from one of her more famous _works_."_

None of the girls had time to make sense of what was going on when noises were projected by the speakers---female pants and moans stood out from a scratchy vinyl-like background. The audience looked bewildered.

"_Yes, yes…Mmm that feels so good, Johnny. Ooh yes, Alexa don't stop… oh g-o-d right there…" _a female voice panted erotically.

"_Oh yeah_," a male voice grunted, accompanied by the echo of a slap.

Hitomi's legs nearly crumbled beneath her. 'Why? Why?' She never had time to offer herself an answer when a large high definition television screen slowly descended to their right and showed a very crude image of a dark-haired leather-clad---in all the wrong places---woman performing shameless sexual acts with an artificially tanned and bulky man and another blond woman. They were all covered in mud.

Eriya cried. Yukari gagged. Hitomi crumbled. The audience gasped. Garnet eyes gleamed in merriment. He just killed two birds with one stone---metaphorically speaking. In reality, he'd done better… he got three people. Why get actresses and real pornstars when he could degrade and strip three 'real' people of their pride and watch them play out their life's drama.

"_Yes ladies and gentlemen, that's our Birthday Girl's mother taken from a famous scene in her 1970 classic called "The Way of Muddy Waters". If you want a copy of this rare gem, they're upstairs. But here's one for the road,"_ he said throwing a DVD randomly at the crowd of men who had sneaked closer._ "You guys sure are lucky tonight because our lovely girls here wanted to perform it right on stage… along with Eriya. What a touching request."_

As those words were said, the man stepped away. A hatch in the ceiling above the stage opened and they were splashed with watery mud from head to toe.

"_Wow, that's pretty messy. But, like they say "whatever turns you on", right?"_ he laughed.

Eriya was stuck in a state of utter shock. Her brain stopped functioning since her well-respected mother's body was defamed by the moving images of her mother's greatest and most reckless mistake. It had happened when her mother was still just a teen and incredibly insecure about herself and her place. It was a thoughtless show of rebellion against her family's social dictatorship and now Eriya was paying full price for her major slip.

It had taken years for her mother to rebuild a proper reputation for herself and allow her family to come to terms with her past. Eriya had never forgiven her mother but she knew that she kept herself in complete---almost saintly---isolation from human contact to punish herself and atone for her mistakes.

It wasn't possible. No one should have known about this---at least not now. Eriya's influential family had taken immeasurable precaution to dispose of any evidence pertaining to that disgraceful time. No one would be able to get their hands on the copies. They had even bribed newspapers and tabloids to shut them up. 'No one was meant to know.'

Then, her mind whizzed out of control, trying to place the blame on someone, something, to hang onto a concrete block of solace lest she should be forever lost to the void that constantly coaxed her---it was her body's call for survival. 'Those girls… they were the ones who wanted this… they wanted to humiliate me. Those heartless bitches, how could they!'

"How could you do this to me!" the hysteric woman cried and lunged for them.

"_And the excitement begins!"_

The distraught woman got to Yukari first, pulling her hair savagely. Hitomi tried to stop the crazed woman, struggling to tear away the hands that latched on to her friend's hair. Yukari cried out a few times in pain. This was worse than a freak show.

Most people silently watched on in morbid interest and others---the male chunk of the audience---cheered the unfortunate girls on with chauvinistic enthusiasm. In the chaos of mud and screams the two guards from before finally came to break up the fight.

"_What a show! And now, for th—"_

"YOU!" cried an outraged voice. Hitomi seethed with anger so dark and visceral bellowing from deep within that it was just gnawing to be let free. "I'll kill you!" She bolted for the host, whose complicity in the matter was as clear to her as water. She wanted to scratch his eyes out, tear him limb from limb and bleed his joker's smile dry.

One of the guards ran after her and stopped her just in time. He carried the mud-drenched girl back while she thrashed and sputtered death threats.

"You fucking prick, wait till I get my hands on you! I'll rip your head off. Let me go!"

It was in that delirious moment of anger that Hitomi's eyes met with ruby ones. Their gazes locked onto each other. He was stationed further away but was slowly making his way closer when she noticed him. He was… smiling. Just like when she was hounded by that disgusting drunk but this time, only more brutal. 'How could he?' Why was it that only _he_ made her feel worthless when he looked at her like that? She deflected her gaze from his to stop herself from being sucked dry by that unblinking stare.

And her eyes found the culprit of her misfortune.

Jared.

He was standing on the left side of the stage and giving her a most inappropriately apologetic look---she cast him a psychotic grin. 'That won't save you tonight. Oh no.' That lying, conniving, spineless, moronic bastard! No, words were much too sophisticated to describe what she felt for him in that instant. She slipped off her stilettos and jumped down the stage so fast the spectators had a hard time keeping her in their visual.

Jared had what was coming to him. He hadn't known any of this would happen. He had wanted so much to join the elusive Organization that was claiming new followers everyday. He had heard it through a friend who trusted him enough to let him know of it. And when Guimel approached him with the promise of being considered as a likely candidate for the Organization, he was only too eager to follow. All he had to do was find two female commoners. Piece of cake, right? How he regretted it now.

Hitomi punched him so hard, he reeled backwards from the blow---decidedly she had done this before. Mud flew everywhere and creamed his nose and cheeks. If he were any more of a man, he'd put her back in her place but he wasn't. He was a coward and a cheat. He nursed his wound. She spat dirt-mixed saliva at his face.

"Don't think I'm through with you, you spineless excuse for a human."

Red eyes looked rather pleased---and thoroughly impressed. 'Not bad at all.'

The host cleared his throat. _"Well that was somewhat unexpected! You're packing some serious missiles there, girl. But it's all in the name of fun! Now as we all know, this is a special day for Eriya and it's just not fair for us to be putting the spotlight on her mother. So, in honor of our beloved Birthday Girl, here is the real tribute especially for her." _

"Please… no more," rasped an infinitely tired and broken voice, devoid of life.

It was too late. A few dozen meters in front of the stage, behind where the audience gathered, an innocent large white screen slowly rolled down. Soft and pleasant classical music followed the screen's path downward which promised a great deal of suffering.

The host assumed a narrator's voice and began, _"Eriya was born Eriya Gail Nadir-Smithsonian to the proud parents of Sonya Kempley (aka Cherry Glitz) and Ezra Nadir-Smithsonian on June 6th 1982. Youngest of three, she was cherished by her whole family including her sister Naria and brother Aaron. She excelled academically and proved to be a gifted violinist." _Now the narrator _painted_ on a more solemn face.

"_But despite her natural talents, not all was perfect for Eriya. The poor girl went through years of humiliation for her not-so-gifted physical appearance. She suffered many years of depression but remained resilient nonetheless and decided to take matters into her own hands to become the lovely woman she is today. Let's give her a round of applause," _the tactless man said, applauding. Some people applauded---especially the ones who were disoriented from substance abuse as well as the accomplices to the set up.

"Stop it… please." They had officially pillaged the only source of pride the young woman had left. Eriya wanted to slip away into oblivion and never return.

"_Let's take a look at her transformation from ugly duckling to the swan of all swans, shall we?"_

On the white screen entered a projection of Eriya many years back. Her awkwardly unfeminine and chubby body slumped from shame as she accepted a trophy at a violin competition. Her dark hair hid most of her face yet her prominent nose and acne-infested forehead nearly gave one the impression of leaping out from the screen and calling for humiliation.

What followed that were possibly the most horrifying visions of oneself one would never wish to see, let alone have it be shown to the public. A slideshow of pictures displayed on the screen of a naked Eriya right before her various cosmetic surgeries.

One of her physical anomalies included a mild case of hirsutism---but serious enough to cripple one's self-esteem. The excess hair on her body spread to places that normally shouldn't on a woman. Slides of a close-up shot of her face showed thick dark hair under her nose and in the vicinity of her chin and jaw. Others showed full frontal of an excessively hairy pubic, stomach and leg area. She also had acute acne problems all over her body which accompanied her abnormal pilosity.

Frame after frame the woman was grotesquely displayed in the most treacherous violation of her privacy. The sterile environment of pastels and greys from the private hospitals and clinics served as background scenery. It was mind numbingly distasteful. Those photographs were supposed to be highly confidential and kept for the records.

The ensemble of public reaction melted down to an average of unbridled disgust and repulsion. Most of them gagged, many retched and some felt the need to physically cleanse themselves of the visions and expulsed their earlier dinners onto the waxed floor.

Hitomi and Yukari looked away out of respect for the woman and admitted to feeling a twinge of pity---they felt ashamed for the disgust biting at their conscience.

In the midst of the chaos and confusion, if one paid close enough attention, one could hear a crescendo of symphonic malicious laughter echoing in the hall. It glided on the surface of the disorder it created.

Suddenly a deafening scream sounded and all turned to Eriya who then collapsed into a fit of convulsions and sobs. Her lips quivered as she repeated a sentence over and over again.

"Why would he do this? Why would he do this? Why?"

She rocked back and forth.

Yukari rushed to the devastated girl and supported her weight, wiping the dried mud as best she could off her face and hair. A greyish brown-haired woman---she was previously blocked by one of the few security men nearby but forced her way through shouting, "She's my sister. She needs help."---arrived at the scene and shushed her sister soothingly, crying for her sibling's imploding agony.

Hitomi clambered back onstage---the mud made it slippery---and went for the host's throat. It seemed everyone but her was too busy to notice his apparent enjoyment at the mercy of innocent people. The guard once again immobilized her but this time she thrashed so violently, yelling obscenities that another guard had to be called in.

Had she not given in to her sudden impulse, she would have noticed what was happening in the meantime. Yukari was too busy tending to the entranced girl still chanting her question like a mantra.

Dilandau had casually made his way near the stage in apathetic indifference and rested his elbows on the platform. He faked concern.

"What a pity. Such a sweet girl too." He shook his head and turned to Shesta. "Shes, call an ambulance will you. I think it might be serious." He lifted his head and smiled at Naria who was now staring at him with horror-filled navy eyes.

Naria desperately crawled to him.

"Did you?" Her voice broke into a squeak.

"Hey, I'm just offering my help. Take it or leave it," he said shrugging playfully.

He was a demon. Those read eyes weren't just for show---he was devoid of a heart.

"Why?" She reached a cautious hand to his face. How could such a beautiful creature be so nefarious? It wasn't possible.

Dilandau avoided her touch with disgusted ease. "Don't you dare touch me with your filthy paws, got that." He made a face and resumed his good humor.

"And your sister could probably answer that question better than me. Well, the party's over and I'm tired." He stretched half-assedly and pretended to yawn. "I've had my fun. Time for me to go," he sighed out the words, showing his disinterest.

He turned to leave. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, tell your sister I say "don't mention it"," he threw over his shoulder with an impish grin and walked away.

He nearly made it to the exit.

"WAIT!" a voice screeched. He halted and turned around.

Hitomi who was now panting heavily from her struggle with the guards had finally noticed it. A woman closely resembling Eriya---her current self---looked in anguish at a man's retreating form. It was _that_ man's. She was repeating the same blasted question Eriya was. "Why?" Looking between the woman and the man's figures, she wondered why something didn't fit.

It had dawned on her.

'He called me Cherry. I didn't even tell him my name. He left when that guy whispered something in his ear. Those smiles, that cold look. That means he's th—'

Hitomi ran up to him. She ignored his towering height. "You did this didn't you? You planned this all out?"

"And what gives you that impression," he asked, clearly enjoying this. 'Bravo if she figures it out.'

"Don't get smart with me! I know you did this and I'm not even gonna ask why. But all I gotta say to you is you've got a twisted mind to enjoy humiliating people like this!"

Many people gasped and narrowed their eyes angrily at her. 'That classless bitch! How dare she speak to him like that!' thought the female population of the club. It also hadn't helped that most of those women were now her sworn enemies from the earlier intimate happenings between the two antipodes. Whether the accusations were true or not wasn't an issue to those people.

He regarded her curiously---she was a lot more than what he gave her. It was the second time that night that she thwarted his game plan. And those eyes with that blazing emerald fire. How he longed to extinguish it with his own. How long had it been since he last longed for something so much?

His throat rumbled with soft velvety laughter. She exceeded his expectations---women were nothing like _that_ in front of him.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Isn't it obvious, you're covered in mud. Isn't that supposed to be humorous?" he teased.

"I can't believe how heartless you are!"

He laughed harder.

"How could you be so wicked!"

"With a lot of practice," he responded mockingly.

This was too much for her to handle. His taunts and the humiliation she suffered took its toll on her.

"You're nothing but a sick, perverted bastard!" She swung her hand to slap him.

He caught her wrist effortlessly---as if he had anticipated it all along. Unfortunately some mud flicked on his cheek as he had stopped her arm's forward motion.

His grip around her wrist tightened reflexively. "I won't be so nice next time," he warned dangerously. "I'll give you five seconds to wipe the mud off."

"Let go of my hand." He tightened some more.

"Four."

"I said, let go of my hand." It was hurting now.

"Three."

"Let go or I'll call the cops on you." It would leave a bruise.

"Two," he continued with unblinking red eyes and a twitching jaw.

"You ASS—"

"Don't do it!" yelled a man's voice. It was Gatti. He approached his leader and regarded the courageous girl. "That little bitch isn't even worth your time, Dilandau-san." He had been watching from the sidelines, unsure of what to do.

Shesta wasn't too far behind his friend in the matter---he knew this could have gotten totally out of hand. He didn't think Dilandau's father was ready for yet another scandal involving his disobedient son---the last one was bad enough.

Dilandau inadvertently loosened his grip, giving Hitomi enough space to wiggle free. She rubbed her sore wrist, still glaring defiantly at him.

Yukari ran to her friend when she saw that Hitomi was at the center of the commotion far away. She pushed her friend closer to the exit.

"Let's just go home," she said tired.

Meanwhile, Gatti and Shesta were distracting Dilandau momentarily, or so they thought. Dilandau approached the retreating girls, much to the horror of both and caught Hitomi by the shoulder squeezing it painfully.

"Remember, I'm not finished with you," he whispered menacingly. His trademark arrogance returned. "By the way, I think it's best if you got cleaned up. It's not appropriate for you to walk around like that," he announced.

People laughed. Hitomi simply stomped out the door---her rage was getting the best of her but she couldn't afford to take the bait, that's what he wanted after all and she'd die before losing to him---, pulling her friend along. 'I'm not finished with you either,' she thought.

When she left, Dilandau's repressed rage took hold of him as he angrily wiped off the mud from his jaw. 'See what I do to her for humiliating me publicly!' he promised. How could she be so goddamn tough and fearless in front of _him_. No one had ever dared talk back or defy him the way she did. He was far too permissive with her. The tables would have to turn; he'd have to change that. Why the hell had he let that bitch go so freely? It wasn't in his nature.

Worst part of the whole thing was that _he_ of all people was getting riled up over such a triviality; such nonsense. He had better things to do than to get worked up over some little commoner bitch. Dilandau passed an agitated hand through his silver locks in frustration.

He violently snatched away a full glass from a bystander and people observed him with fearful interest. They feared his unstable mood greatly.

Everyone there worshipped Dilandau one way or another and they had never thought anyone could talk to him like that. And now they were curious as to what he would do.

The man in question glared scorching flames indiscriminately at the crowd, consuming them completely in fear. They hastily looked away and busied themselves with other things. They knew he was capable of _anything_.

Miguel neared his leader with extreme caution---he was a time bomb waiting to explode. Never had any of the Slayers had ever seen Dilandau lose control over himself like that. Sure, he was reckless and psychotic but it had always served a purpose. Now it seemed that woman had _actually_ affected him.

"What will you do about her, Dilandau-san?"

Seeing something of interest, the agitated leader gulped down the last traces of alcohol, suddenly springing to his feet and stalked to his destination.

"You," he called. Jared turned around realizing his friends had backed away from him---he froze. Dilandau had remembered the red spikes as Hitomi attacked him and figured right away that he must have been the one.

"Were you the one in charge of handing out the tickets," the fearsome man demanded. The boy trembled under his demon red gaze.

"Y-yes. I'm s-sor—"

The boy didn't have time to stutter out his last word. The shock was so sudden; he didn't realize he was on the floor until his jaw ached badly and he tasted the metallic substance that trickled down his mouth. He probably had some form of whiplash---he couldn't even focus properly. His burning cheek throbbed so violently it threatened to burst. He felt a deep scorching pain. A gash had been felt where Dilandau's ring had been. Hitomi's punch was fruitcake compared to this.

An idea struck him and the silver-haired Adonis grinned. Oh this was good.

"You're quite familiar with her," he stated. He regarded the parasitic creature with a superior air, chin lifted up, mouth downturned and eyes cast down.

"I k-know a few things." God it hurt.

"Good. You can still be useful to me."

"Y-yes Dilandau-san! Of course!" He nearly kissed the man's feet.

'Pathetic,' the handsome man thought. After everything that just happened he was still as low as ever---acting like a beggar in his position; no backbone whatsoever. _She_ was right---curse her!

Appeased, he strode his way back to the bar where Miguel was drinking and talking to a barmaid---probably trying to pick her up. He ordered a drink and sipped it contentedly.

Miguel was concerned---why was he acting so carefree? Hadn't he just been gravely insulted by some no-name girl? She should be taught a lesson. He wasn't intrinsically mean but an insult to Dilandau was worse than insulting his mother.

"You're not letting her off the hook _that_ easily, are you Dilandau-san?"

"Nope." He lit his Silver Cut and drank his whiskey leisurely.

"What will you do then?"

The leader took another gulp and smiled at the empty bottom. "I'll just break her from the inside," he answered with malicious glee.

Miguel suddenly regretted ever wanting to do the girl harm. True, she had insulted Dilandau in the utmost fashion but never did he wish to play out whatever sinister idea that his leader was contriving. He sighed.

It was too late, it was already done.

-----------------------------------------------------------

**A/N:** Wah! That was a frightfully long third chapter! I hope you're still alive, readers. See? Didn't I promise they would meet? The last chapter made me cringe. It was full of errors and repetitive words! By the way, I meant to write "emerge" not "immerge" on the second to last paragraph of the third flashback sequence; it was a completely careless mistake. That's what happens when you don't have a beta-er.

Any of you guys figured out what the glossed papers in chapter two were, by any chance? Limonchik this question especially goes to you.

If you guys have **any** questions regarding this fic and anything else you're curious about, don't be afraid to PM me! I don't bite, I swear!

Anyway, the next chapters will be much much shorter… or so I hope.

In answer to the anonymous reviews:

To **rina***: Thanks! Well as you can see, they've met! And boy do I have so much in store for them! I hope it met with your expectations!

To **ChRoMeWaVe**: Well, you've said it! Enough of a clash for ya? I mean, let's face it, it couldn't have happened any other way for those two stubborn mules! I love your analysis, they make me happy!

To **iron.rose:** Thanks! I'm a girl who keeps her word! Well… most of the time… but see? I kept it this time! In any case, this is just the beginning…

To **skinnycow**: Gee thanks a lot! Well, I hope you liked this part too! And thanks again for encouraging me!

To **Litschi**: Thank you for sticking with me!

To **Limonchik**: You know, I'm really happy to have reviewers like you because you ask me questions about the fic and that shows me that you pay close interest in it which makes me squeal with glee. In answer to your question, I hope this chapter gave you more insight. I feel stupid not to just go ahead and say it outright even when it's obvious but I'd still prefer to keep you guessing. I'm positive you know who it is though!

To **Alana M.**: Why thank you! I'll keep updating and please keep reviewing. Does that sound like a fair deal? LOL… don't worry, I'm not that mean! But I still hope you do.

To **Hitomi Reitsuki**: Gee thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the flash backs. Poor Hitomi though, she always pays the price for them! It feels nice to know you like the way I describe since it's one of my fears. Anyway, I hope you keep reviewing!

To **dementia**: Ahh! I'm sorry! Gomen times infinity. I hope I appeased you with this long chapter. looks expectant But thanks anyway!

**I hope you all keep reviewing and I hope to "meet" new reviewers as well. You guys make my story come to life so thank you!**

***Assumes publicity face with feigned sadness*** Please give generously. Donate one review for each chapter and it gives a poor writer like Renleek food for the soul, something to cherish. It's only a few minutes of your time. Please donate now and give her a chance at fanfiction. **Thank you in advance.**


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